Wolf Children
by My Creative Writings
Summary: Humans and werewolves have been each other's enemies for as long as one can remember. Luffy and his family, together with the rest of the pack, live deep into the forest, far away from the nearest village. Luffy is forbidden from getting close but after his brothers left him on his own, Luffy goes out to go after them. He never meant to stumble upon the village.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello:D This is a little nervewrecking for me since this is the first story I've posted in a long time. Not just one this side, but in general. I just enrolled in university and it's a lot harder than I thought it'd be (though I might need to work harder myself). But that being said, I'm really happy to start publishing this story, even if it gets little views XD. I've always wanted a One Piece Werewolf fic but nothing I found really satisfied my needs, so I decided to do it myself. It's far from perfect and it'll probably take me some time to update considering how busy I should be, but I'll try:) I just finished chapter five and I'm really excited about this so I'm sure it'll be fine.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this and enjoy:) x**

* * *

" _Ne, Ace, can I ask you a question?"_

 _The eight-year-old sighs a little annoyed, dropping the old twig that he was holding. Ace can't help but shiver as he suddenly feels the cold that has been bugging him and the whole pack for the entire winter. Their hideout may be underground, but it's no less cold out there as it is in the forest. He has thought about changing into his wolf form the entire morning but it's forbidden for all children to change whenever they feel like it, since most of them are not yet in full control of their change. Ace thinks it's ridiculous, he has all the control in the world! He has told his father this of course, but his father's answer was very plain and simple._

 _Even if Ace has control over his transformation, it's still strictly forbidden to change outside the cave for pups. Humans can show up at any given moment, it's too dangerous._

 _Ace turns to the toddler on his side, who is as excited as a toddler can be. His little brother is also wearing a cloak and their father has thrown the hood over his messy black hair to block out more of the cold wind. He has also made it Ace's mission to watch over his little brother in case he isn't nearby. It's a little annoying that Sabo decided to stay with their mother for today. What makes it even more annoying is that their father was perfectly fine with it since Sabo is apparently 'the responsible one who doesn't need to join every single trip to learn about the forest'._

 _Stupid Sabo. Stupid dad._

 _Luffy starts pulling Ace's cloak and Ace growls, "What?!"_

 _Luffy grins and looks up at Ace with wondering eyes, asking, "Why do humans hate us?"_

 _That's not the question Ace expected to hear. He freezes and gulps, not sure how to answer that question at all. Well, 'not sure', Ace knows the answer to that. Humans are dumb creatures that think they rule the world and despise everything else that walks on this earth. Ace can't stand them._

 _He watches Luffy's wide eyes and sighs, laying his gloved hand on top of his brother's head. He lets his eyes wander over the group, taking in each werewolf that is present. Every week a couple of the older werewolves take the children out into the forest, to let them get used to it and let them learn their way around the place. They should know where not to go and where to hide in case of danger. They need to get familiar with the forest. Children like Sabo, who are fast learners, don't need to join every week. But pups like Ace and Luffy, who are as reckless as one would expect from wolf pups, are basically forced to come along. Especially because it's their father who always leads the way._

 _There are definitely pro's to having a father who is the alpha of the pack but also too many cons._

 _Ace's eyes rest on Law, the newest addition to the pack, though he is already here for two years. He is four years older than Ace and very quiet. Ace doesn't know anything about why he suddenly came into the pack, other that he was found covered in blood. Ace was six when Law came, an age during which you accept everything your parents tell you. It was a good thing that Luffy was just four at the time or else he would have bothered everyone about Law._

" _Ace~? Ne, why do they?"_

 _Luffy pulls Ace back into their cold reality and he bites his lip before answering, "Because to them, Luff, we are monsters. We are worthless, ugly monsters. They think we'll scare them." He finds Luffy pouting and closes his eyes for a short second. He rubs Luffy's head and adds, "Humans are stupid. Just don't ever get near them, alright? They are wrong about us, but won't ever hesitate to hurt us. Don't forget that. Are you listening to me? Oi, Luffy!"_

* * *

A cold wind blows between the tall trees in the forest, on top of the Mount Colubo. The fact that it's on a mountain, therefore higher up in the air, only makes the wind feel more like ice than just a friendly cold wind. It's starting to turn into one of those winter evenings and it's no surprise that the forest is quiet at this hour. It's a little too risky to go out into the mountains right now but since most of the people in the village on the foot of the mountain spend their evenings in the local pub, it's automatically out of the question.

That is, when you are human. The residents of the forest are not shying away from spending the evening in the dark, where no one can see them. Ace is one of those many residents who prefers the dark to light any day.

His furry ears stand up at the sound of his twin approaching him and he can't help but smile at the sight of him. Ace whistles as Sabo manages to grab a bird that wasn't paying attention to its surroundings. The animal starts screaming the moment Sabo's paws wrap around its tiny body. Not a second later, it lays limp in Sabo's paws, that turn back to his hands right away. He turns around and looks up at the tree, against which Ace is leaning with a lazy smirk resting on his lips. Sabo grins proudly and makes his way to his older twin brother, swinging the dead bird in his hands.

"Looks like someone has been practicing." Ace says the moment Sabo is close enough to hear him. Sabo holds up the bird next to his head, chuckling as he tells him, "Don't expect me to just sit back and let you do all the work. You're not the only one with skills."

He grins as Ace rolls his eyes. He pushes himself away from the tree, wincing a little when his fingers touch the harsh bark. Not only does it sting but at this time of year, the trees are covered in ice and snow, Ace's worst enemy. He hates the cold, always has. It's the main reason why he used to dread going on all those educational trips the older werewolves would plan. He's more than just a little glad he has long reached the maximum age for those.

"Maybe you should take my advice and stop cutting off those fingertips on your gloves. Of course you're gonna be cold with those exposed fingers." Sabo all but nags, grabbing a handful of snow to wipe off the dirt from his catch. Ace raises a fist at him and snaps, "Shut up, mother hen! Gloves _with_ fingers or those inconvenient ones that Luffy always insists on wearing are not made for werewolves such as us. My claws don't have to rip through the fabric, unlike your stupid ass. Just now you had to take off your gloves in order to catch that stupid bird."

Sabo pouts, causing Ace to grow as he knows it's nothing but fake.

"Make up your mind, brother. First you're impressed and all of a sudden the bird is stupid? Luffy would think I'm god himself for being able to catch this animal."

"First of all, I'm not Luffy! That kid is impressed by a frog catching flies. Second of all, fuck off." Ace says, snarling towards Sabo. Sabo chuckles and shakes his head, not having expected a reasonable answer in the first place. He lets out a loud sigh, pissing off Ace even more, and tightly holds onto the bird as he looks up at Ace.

"Wanna bet that I can catch more food for tonight than you?"

Ace's glance darkens and he throws the hood of his cloak over his dark hair, covering the ears, also pulling his black boots up. He doesn't bother adjusting his belt since his shorts are too baggy to stay up the whole time. He takes up the challenge, cracking his knuckles as he speaks with a glint in his eyes, "Does a giant tiger count as fifty birds? Just to let you know how hard you'll have to work to beat me."

Sabo smirks and hooks his fingers behind the metal of his belt, an old and worn-out leather strap that Shanks brought home to the cave after a trip to the human village, Foosha Village, of course in his human form. It was already pretty worn-out when Shanks gave it to him years ago, but it has gotten to the point where the leather could break at any given moment. Sabo pretends not to care, but he just doesn't want to get rid of his precious belt.

"Maybe try catching one before making such claims." Sabo chuckles and slowly walks backwards before fully turning around to turn into a wolf as he dashes through the snow. He pulls his top hat further of his ears and snickers as he gets further away from his older twin brother.

Ace yells a loud 'oi' at him before turning into his wolf form as well to quickly follow his younger twin brother.

* * *

"Luffy-ya, how many times do you need to hear the word 'no' before you get it? Even if I wanted to, which I don't, I wouldn't have taken you into the forest with me. I don't want to get on Roger's bad side."

Luffy groans loudly and throws both his arms around Law's neck, successfully leaning on the older man's back. Law thought he had some peace and quiet for today, just sitting on the side of the main square in the underground city where all werewolves find their homes. Though it's beneath a rather small looking cave (from the outside it doesn't look like it goes very deep), the hideout is impressively big. It's very deep into the ground, making it look very high from Law's current position. Homes are both carved into the rocks and made from wood, built on strong pillars. They are attached to each other with shabby looking bridges, that are actually strong enough to carry a big bear. There are paths carved right in front of the homes and on the ground is where small buildings are placed, with muddy roads in between them.

Law lives in a carved out home, together with his adoptive father Rocinante. It's his tough luck that Luffy and his family live in the biggest wooden home, right in the middle of the cave. This happens to be right across Law's home and it's enough excuse for Luffy to shout from his room at him, almost every night.

Currently Law is sitting on the open square on ground level, in the middle of all the small buildings. Werewolf pups are running around while playing with wooden sticks and many others come and go, making the square quite lively.

Luffy is on his knees behind him, leaning over him as he snaps, "I don't care what dad has to say. I can't find my brothers anywhere so you'll have to do it for me."

"And why is that?! Go look for those two and leave me alone!" Law can't help but raise his voice at the younger boy, who has just turned sixteen. It's too bad that werewolves are only allowed to go into the forest on their own once they've hit seventeen. Law isn't sure if he has the patience to listen to Luffy's endless whining for another year. He won't ever say it out loud, but he admires Sabo and Ace for being able to put up with their little brother. It's rather impressive that they manage to keep it together for a good whole day before exploding at him.

Luffy sighs annoyed (Law doesn't know how he thinks he has the audacity to do that) and says, starting to shake Law's shoulders, "Aren't you listening to me, Torao? I can't find them anywhere. They're probably fighting each other somewhere over there." He lazily waves his hand towards a dark alley and Law deadpans for the amount of stupidity. It's pretty damn obvious that the two ditched him. If it wasn't obvious enough by the way there are nowhere in sight, Law saw them run towards the entrance of the cave a couple of hours ago.

The entrance is a long, dark passageway that leads to stoned stairs. In the passageway you can hear all the water running that flows through the rocks. It's hallow and very wet. A lot of the times bats hide in there. How, Law isn't too sure. The way in from the outside is very well hidden. It's impossible to find it if you don't know it exists. All people that happen to get this far into the forest and stumble upon this cave can't see it, even if they tried.

The entrance is covered by a big rock, that once needed to be pushed open. It's hidden behind thick twigs but even without it, there are no lines that suggest a hidden door. Now, it opens by pushing another rock, with one on both the inside and the outside. It's pretty recent, since it was their current alpha's great grandfather who decided the system needed to be changed.

"I'm sure they are, Luffy-ya. Why not check it out yourself?"

Luffy starts shaking him even more violent and exclaims, "Because I want to go outside! I'm hungry but dad says the hunters won't go out until another hour or so! So the only solution to that problem is to take matters into my own hands and catch my own food. Normally Ace and Sabo will come with me but since they are not here and you're also old enough to go, I reasoned that you'd be perfect."

"I'm honestly honored that you thought of me, but for the last time, I'm not interested. Not to mention the fact that you're too young to go out. If your dad finds out that I took you out, he will use my head as tonight's dinner." Law answers, not looking at Luffy. Luffy seems to think about that for a second. He then proceeds to smile widely and says, "But if I tell him that I asked you to take me out, he won't be mad, will he? Then it's all my idea!"

Law sighs, rubbing his head for the upcoming headache, "While that sounds temping, I don't want to risk anything. If your dad wasn't the alpha male of the pack, I _might_ have considered it. But once you end up on Roger's bad side, it'll be difficult to get back to the other side."

"So what you're saying is, that you won't go?"

Law resists the urge to throw his hands up in the air and groans, "That's what I've been trying to get through your unbelievably thick scull this entire time. Please, go bother someone else. Or just don't go and obey the rules for once."

Luffy makes a pouty face again and opens his mouth to start another discussion when his eye catches a little werewolf on the opposite side of the square. There is Chopper, walking together with his mother Kureha. She is their doctor so it isn't strange to see her carrying all kinds of plants.

Law perks up at the sight of the two. His not so secret dream is to also become a doctor, preferably a surgeon. Kureha is a very good doctor (the best, in Law's eyes) but he aims to become better than her. Even better than her son Chopper, who also has the same dream as him. At first Law was a little annoyed by that, but now he doesn't mind at all. After all, he is the only person who gets just as excited about medicines as him.

Once Kureha got wind of his interest, she decided to start teaching him about everything there is to know about her job. Chopper joined in when he got old enough to do so. The boy is whole eight years younger than him and looks up to him about just as much as he looks up to his mother. He is also one of Luffy's best friends, which gives Luffy another reason to always hang out at Chopper's home, which also serves as the official 'doctor's office' so to speak.

"CHOPPER!" Luffy suddenly yells and jumps up, grabbing Law's arm. Law doesn't try to resist, considering how he too would like to join them and maybe talk a little with Kureha. He lets Luffy take him across the square and sees Chopper's face lighten up at the sight of his best friend. Kureha shows a little grin and stops walking, letting Chopper run up to the two.

"Luffy! What are you doing here? I thought you'd be hanging out with your brothers or something." Chopper exclaims, smiling up at Luffy. Luffy chuckles and lets of Law, who also gets a very happy greeting from Chopper. Chopper is small for his age and has to look up, even at Luffy who himself isn't that tall either.

Luffy shrugs and says, as the three start making their way back to Kureha, who is not so patiently waiting for them, "Can't find them. So I decided to take Law out into the forest, but he doesn't want to go." Chopper's eyes grow wide and he hisses, "Luffy! You can't go out, you're not seventeen yet!" He shots a glance at Law and continues, "Don't ever give in when he whines. It won't just cause him trouble but us too!"

"Chopper-ya, how long do you think I've known this guy?" Law asks, matter-of-factly. Chopper turns a little red, which makes Luffy laugh. He ruffles Chopper's light brown hair and says, with a big gummy smile, "You should join us too!"

"NEVER!"

* * *

"... And that's how I once bravely fought of a huge werewolf. All by myself."

The four children surrounding Usopp all start to glow up and Usopp smirks proudly, holding up his can filled with beer as he puts one foot on the barstool in front of him.

Nami, who is seated on the stool next to Usopp's, doesn't hesitate to hit him behind his head and yells, "Stop telling little kids lies, big asshole! There will come a day that those lies are going to bite you back in your ass!"

The children all look up at Nami with big eyes and run away, screaming as they go. Usopp starts aggressively rubbing the back of his head and exclaims, "Oi, you don't have to hit me that hard! Stop doing that!"

Nami doesn't look impressed at all but the blond guy, on Nami's other side, glares at Usopp and snaps, "You should think about lowering your voice in the presence of a lady, big nose."

Usopp, who has gotten more than a little used to Sanji's behavior around women, cowers away under the hard glare and mutters, "You don't have to be so rude about it." Sanji seems to pop a vein on his forehead and shouts, "That's rich, coming from you! You just yelled at Nami-san, you've lost all your rights of accusing me of the same!"

Usopp opens his mouth, ready to fire back an answer at that ridiculous claim, when Zoro, who has been quietly drinking away all the beer in the bar, puts a hand on his shoulder to push him down on the stool and says, "Don't bother reasoning with that airhead. I've already given up on him." He moves his eyes towards Sanji and finds the exact reaction that he was hoping for. Sanji's face turns red and he shouts, "Shut the hell up, marimo! _I'm_ the one who has already given up on _you,_ you rude green-haired bastard."

"Who are you calling a bastard, mister nose-bleed?!" Zoro slams his hand on the wooden bar and looks ready to fight the blonde. Usopp sighs annoyed, knowing that this will continue the whole night. The two are friends, of course they are. Together with Robin and Franky, who are doing absolutely nothing to interfere the upcoming fight and are only laughing in an amused manner, they are a very tight group of friends. But that doesn't change the fact that Sanji and Zoro are always pissing each off and deliberately looking for fights. Strangely, Usopp has gotten used to it. Matter of fact, the whole town has gotten used to it. Foosha Village isn't big and it's difficult not to know every citizen who lives there. Zoro and Sanji's constant bickering just adds to the familiar sounds and noises that ring through the village every day.

A loud laugh breaks the two off and Brook, the musician of the bar and also a bartender when Makino, the owner of Party's Bar, is too busy serving the customers, joins the group with Nami's drink. She isn't too keen on alcohol (unlike the boys of their group) and always drinks some type of fruit juice. It's not too strange either, since she works in a shop that sells fruit.

"I see you two are as energetic as ever. Here you go, lovely lady." Brook says in his usual cheerful voice, putting a glass in front of Nami. She claps her hands together and immediately takes a sip, a content smile decorating her face. Sanji stops himself from shouting another insult at his green-haired friend in favor of staring at Nami's happy face, his eyes slowly turning into hearts.

Zoro rolls his eyes at him but doesn't say anything about it. He finishes his beer and holds up the can, exclaiming at Brook, "Oi, got any more?"

Brook stares at him in almost disbelief and asks, still taking the can, "How are you able to not be drunk yet?"

"Probably learned that from his father." Franky speaks up, taking a big sip himself. Zoro snorts and says, "As if. My father isn't much of a drinker. Neither is my sister. I just like it, what's the big deal about it?"

"Of course your lovely sister isn't much of a drinker. She firmly holds her ground with a brute like you as her brother." Sanji adds to the mix, making Zoro reach for the sword that he always carries around with him. His father is their local blacksmith and Zoro is the one who helps him out. He brings back swords to clients and has a big knowledge on any type of sword. He may not look like a big thinker from the outside but when it comes to swords, he's your man. Usopp's father, who owns a shop that sells both guns and swords, is one of their clients who comes by at least once a week with blunt knives and swords. It's the main reason why Usopp hangs around with Zoro the most.

"Don't call my sister 'lovely', it's gross. I don't need you to fucking hit on her, alright? You seriously need to stop doing that." Zoro threatens and Usopp gulps, quickly grabbing his own beer to not interfere with Zoro's growing annoyance. Sanji sneers and says, leaning in closer, "It's not my fault all the good genes went to Perona, asshole. Why can't you take the compliment for your sister? I don't know if you noticed, but I don't mess around with the ladies. You have nothing to fear."

Zoro snorts again, "'You have nothing to fear'. I think you're the one who needs to fear Perona. I don't understand how you still can't see how much of a freak she is! You may not mess around with the ladies, but she for sure will mess you up. I have indeed nothing to fear, blond bastard."

Sanji's left eye starts to twitch and he exclaims, "I won't keep quiet when you start insulting the ladies, not even when it's your sister! You have no fucking manners!"

Robin quietly chuckles on the side and says, "Calm down, cook-san. Your blood pressure might go up if you continue to scream like that. That won't do any good to your heart." Frankly laughs loudly and Usopp groans annoyed. Sanji, however, immediately backs down and swoons, "Of course, my dear Robin! Anything for you!"

"Fucking loser." Zoro mutters but leaves it at that.

At least, Usopp hopes.

He sighs loudly and says to Brook, who has been watching in amusement on the side, "I need new friends. This is getting ridiculous."

Brook laughs, "Usopp-san, you hang out on the streets every day while all the others are busy with their own jobs. I'd be surprised if you'd hang out all by yourself." Usopp turns red, not liking to be reminded of the fact that all his friends have jobs while he has no work whatsoever. His father has tried to make him work in his weapon shop but after two weeks and lots of complaining from Usopp's mother, he decided to stop it. Usopp wasn't interested in selling anything and instead was just playing around with all the weapons. It caused some angry customers and lots of pain for both Usopp and his father.

Now all he does is cause trouble on the streets. Zoro has his job as his father's clerk. Nami's father figure owns a fruit shop in which she and her sister help around. Robin works in the book shop from her adoptive father. Franky has his own work place and Sanji's father owns the only restaurant in town, called the Baratie. Sanji loves cooking and works as both a chef and waiter. That leaves Usopp to figure out what to do with his life while all of his friends are busy with their own.

"O-of course I don't hang out by myself, you big idiot. I have loads of friends. As a matter of fact, I have at least a hundred people who all want to be my comrades!" Usopp stutters, everyone seeing through his lie. Zoro softly hits Usopp behind his head and Nami shakes her head, saying, "Little children don't count. They just look up to you because of those dumb stories you always tell them."

"That's not true! I-I have really defeated a whole pack of werewolves!" Usopp retorts, making a fist with his hand. Brook actually looks impressed but Robin calmly speaks up, "I'm sure you'd be dead if you'd meet an actual werewolf. They are strong enough to rip your lungs out with just one swipe."

"Stop saying scary shit like that, Robin! And I am sure that is not the case." Usopp snaps, though knowing that she might actually be telling the truth. He has never met a werewolf in his life and he wants to keep it that way. He's heard the tales, _everyone_ has heard the tales. Tales of werewolves killing entire villages or tales of people disappearing, only to be found in little pieces spread through a dark forest.

He shudders at the mere thought of it and Franky notices, pointing out, "See? Even the great warrior Usopp is scared of werewolves. But I don't blame you, you know. It'd be more surprising to actually meet someone who doesn't shudder at the thought of those wolves. Excluding me, of course. Those monsters are more scared me than I'm scared of them."

Nami deadpans, "I highly doubt that. And frankly, I don't even want to find out. They freak me out, seriously." Usopp clears his throat and suddenly grins, slamming his hand on the counter to yell, "Well, they don't freak me out! Listen up, all of you! If you ever see a werewolf, call your great warrior Usopp and I'll solve all your problems!"

He cringes when the door to Party's Bar gets slammed open and turns around with the speed of lighting. He turns bright red when a laughing Thatch walks in, followed by all the other men of Whitebeard's merchant company. Marco is right next to the laughing man and crosses his arms, standing still when he asks, "Is that so, mister Usopp? We found the right man, yoi."

Red turns into white and Usopp stutters, "R-right man?"

Thatch nods, a little too enthusiastically, and says as he throws his arm over Marco's shoulders, "Yeah, mate! Just before the end of our shift we heard strange noises behind the Moby Dick. Call me crazy, but they sounded like the howling of a wolf. Mind looking into it for us?"

Usopp's pale face goes even paler and he can feel himself fall backwards. His friends around him stare at Thatch and the men surrounding him for a good minute before Robin says, "I think you broke him." Nami snorts and slaps Usopp's back hard, "You're good for nothing." Zoro just starts chuckling, as well as Franky, who doesn't try to hide it and lets out a very loud laugh.

Izo, the merchant who often gets mistaken for a girl, flicks a finger against Thatch's forehead and scolds, "Stop scaring the boy, for god's sake." Marco snickers and moves his eyes around the bar, seeing almost the whole village filling up the space. They are all here after another day of work, as are they.

"Don't ruin the party for us, Izo. I was just having a little bit of fun." Thatch immediately retorts, his hand moving up to rub his forehead. Marco turns his eyes back to his friend and says, "Leave it, yoi. Makino, got any beer left?" Makino, who is standing near a table with her hands full, smiles up at her costumers and tells them, trying to get over the loud noises in her bar, "Coming up!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to the already 13 followers! I never thought this would even gain something in the first place XD Anyway, here is the second chapter, enjoy:)**

* * *

"Eeeeeh?! What do you mean, 'gone'?!"

Rouge smiles at her youngest and answers, scrubbing a pair of pants, that belong to either Sabo or Ace, with hot water, "My dear, your brothers went out into the forest just a couple of hours ago. I thought you knew." Luffy's face of betrayal gives away everything his mother needs to know and she sighs, closing her eyes for a couple of seconds. Luffy was gone for the entire day so she automatically assumed that he either broke the rules again (thank god that is not the case) or his brothers told him, causing him to spend the rest of the day running around with his friends.

While that last bit might be true, she hadn't counted on Luffy exploding when she told him that his brothers aren't home yet. He is standing in the middle of their wooden home, staring at his mother calmly doing their laundry. His eyes have widened and his mouth has fallen open, looking every bit of frustrated.

"They didn't tell me they were going out! That's so unfair! I wanted to go out too! Couldn't they have waited for me or something?!" Luffy exclaims, making a fuss. Rouge gets up from her sitting position and walks up to the strawhat that belongs to Luffy. His father owned it until his youngest showed a lot of interest in the strawhat after spotting Shanks wearing one too. Since Shanks is his role model in about everything, it came only natural that he wanted one too. Roger took it upon himself to gift Luffy his own. The boy has grown attached to it and wears it every single day. For today, Rouge wanted to get all the dirt off so she pushed her son out the door without his precious hat.

"Honey, you're too young to go out, you know that."

Luffy doesn't seem to hear it and continues to rant, his claws unconsciously growing out, "I went out my way to ask Torao as well." Rouge's eyes widen for a short moment before she exclaims, "You wanted Law to take you outside?! Luffy! How many times do I need to tell you that you can't break the rules?! Honey, I know that you want to go out, I really do. But if someone doesn't want to or can't at the moment, you can't force them to take you. I hope to God that you didn't go out by yourself."

Luffy pouts and crosses his arms, "It's all Ace's and Sabo's fault. If they stayed here, I could have gone with them. So mean." Rouge lets out a relieved sigh and ruffles Luffy's hair, saying, "I know, Luffy, I know. But if there is no one else that wants to take you out, no one who is old enough, than I'm afraid you'll have to stay here."

"Can't you take me, mom? You're old enough! Maybe a little too old, but I can work with that!" Luffy exclaims, looking up at his mother with bright eyes. Rouge feels her eyes twitch and lightly hits Luffy on the top of his head, snapping, "Do not call your mother old. And no, I'm too busy to go out with you. Maybe you can join the hunters later tonight."

Luffy pushes her hand away and answers, looking very unhappy, "But that's too late! I'm hungry _now_!"

"So this all about food again, is it? Listen, there is nothing I can do about that. I can either make something of the plants that we always have or you'll have to wait." Rouge tells her youngest son and she can see the frustration on his face. Luffy groans loudly and says, "Plants aren't food, mom."

"Then I'm afraid you'll just have to wait. Or try waking up your dad for an early hunting." Rouge simply answers and turns around to continue with her laundry. Their home has one big room in the middle, that serves as both the living area and a small spot as the kitchen (which is nothing more than an old, rusty cauldron with coal underneath it). Surrounding that room are two other spaces. One of Rouge's and Roger's shared bedroom and the other one is where the brothers sleep. It isn't much, but in comparison to some other homes, it's more than enough. They are a family of five werewolves, who are born and raised in the wild. They work with what they have.

Roger is sleeping in his room, laying on the big mattress filled with hay. The man may be the alpha, he sure does love sleeping. He is a great leader but just like Ace, he falls asleep pretty quickly. Though Ace has a much worse case than his father. But even though he may seem lax, Roger is up and going whenever the pack needs him to be a leader.

Luffy, however, needs him up now. Hunting isn't due in another hour, but his hunger is too much to bear. So, he takes up his mother's advice and steps into his parents' room, glaring at his father. He opens his mouth and releases a very loud growl, starling his mother. Rouge shots a look at him and exclaims, "I didn't mean it like that, Luffy!"

"But dad is too hard to wake up." Luffy reasons and Rouge hates that she can't deny it.

Roger's eyes flutter open and with a hazy look in his eyes, he moves his head up and finds Luffy standing in front of him, looking rather angry. He blinks really fast a couple of times before asking, "My boy, what are you doing here? Weren't you out playing with Chopper?"

"I was, but now I'm not. Get up, I'm hungry."

Roger sighs and rubs his face, "My pup is hungry, that's not a great sign. Is it already time to hunt?" Luffy grumbles a little before answering, "It's not, but that doesn't matter, right? You can start a little earlier today. Those traitors are out already anyway."

Roger can't help but chuckle a little, not fully understanding what the youngster is getting at. He rubs behind his head, feeling that his ears have popped up while he was asleep, and stares at the boy in front of him. Luffy has his arms crossed as he huffs and Roger finally asks, his voice rough from being awoken so rudely, "What are you talking about?"

"Ace and Sabo! They ditched me! Nobody else wants to take me out, so here I am. Get up, I want to go now."

"Hang on a second, little one. It's not time for the hunt yet, we're not going anywhere. Besides, you just interrupted my sleep, let me at least get good rest before going out to hunt your dinner." Roger is quick to say, not willing to use his energy on getting up. Luffy looks upset again and snaps, "You're also being unfair!"

"Luffy, please. Not now. You're sixteen, you must have plenty other things on your mind than food."

The second that leaves his mouth, Roger already remembers that can't be true. His youngest only thinks about two things: causing trouble and food. Causing trouble is what he is best at, but food is his number one priority. Roger is happy that all three of his brats have such a good appetite but it can make them very whiny at times.

"But-"

"Come back in hour and then we'll talk. I'll show you all the great places to catch deers and rabbits, alright?" Roger falls back and with the snap of a finger, the man starts snoring again, leaving Luffy in the dark.

Luffy stares at his father in disbelief before groaning frustrated again. He turns his head around to find his mother still doing the laundry and reasons that this isn't going anywhere. He turns back and puts a finger against his forehead, starting to think really hard.

"I'm going to get a headache from all of this thinking." Luffy says to himself while his head turns bright red. All of a sudden, a light pops up above his head and Luffy's eyes grow wide, slamming a fist into the palm of his other hand.

"Ah, that's right! I can just sneak out and go find them myself!" Luffy says, soft enough so that his mother won't hear it. It's a great idea, according to Luffy's logic. No one needs to know he is gone and besides, he is strong. He can face all those giant tigers on his own, he doesn't need his brothers or anyone else to protect or help him.

Luffy snickers to himself and walks out of his father's room. Not forgetting the fact that wolves can't make their ears disappear, he is quick with grabbing his precious strawhat in the process.

His mother is too engrossed in her laundry that she doesn't bother looking up when Luffy gets back into the living space. Luffy sneaks a glance at her for a short second and is about to slowly walk out when his mother speaks up, "Ah, Luffy! Now that you're here anyway, why not help me out with-"

Luffy doesn't hesitate any longer and runs out of the wooden home, leaving his mother behind speechless. He grins as he runs across the shabby bridge and dashes down the stone stairs to end up on ground level. He throws the strawhat over his head, making sure the ears are tucked underneath them. In the corner of his eye he can see Law and one of Ace's friends, Eustass Kid, arguing about god knows what and while Luffy is very tempted to check it out, he only has one mission on his mind and that is finding his brothers.

Without sparing them as much as a glance, Luffy tries to speed walk across the small plaza until he ends up at the stairs that lead up to the long passageway. He throws a couple of looks over his shoulder and after confirming that no one is looking into his direction, he dashes up the stairs and jumps into the dark, where he is sure that no wolf can see him.

He feels rather proud of himself and sprints into the darkness, his feet splashing the dirty water that covers the ground. Droplets of cold water fall down on him from the wet ceiling but Luffy has grown used to it over the years so at this point he doesn't even notice them anymore. He shakes it off like it's nothing and keeps on going until he reaches the big stone that covers the entrance. He pushes against the rock that triggers the whole mechanism and within a minute, the door is open for Luffy to go out.

He peeks around the edges just to make sure no one is actually there and stretches his arms widely before he changes into his full wolf form. His black hair gently falls in front of his face, his claws digging into the cold stone. He stretches his long, brown tail and shakes his fur to get rid of the water that is still stuck in there. The strawhat, that is held in place with a white rope, is on top of his head, making it look a little ridiculous. Luffy doesn't mind at all. All werewolves go out with hats covering their ears, meaning that once they change, the hat stays. It always looks a little awkward, but it is a normal sight for them.

For humans, however, Luffy is sure that's not what they'd think about when thinking of werewolves. Luffy has never met a single human in his life, not even when Ace got captured when the boy was ten. His father had made sure that both he and Sabo stayed behind with their mother while he and the other male wolves went on their mission to rescue Ace.

Despite the awful history, Luffy is still a little fascinated by them. Maybe it's his built-in curiosity about everything, but he often finds himself wondering what the humans are like What they are up to, what they do to entertain themselves. He has heard all the creepy tales about humans using wolf skin and wolf fur to keep themselves warm during the winter.

The worst one he heard from Kid, a rare red-furred wolf like Shanks. He is a friend of Ace's who likes to pester Luffy about everything. When they were little, Kid told him a story about a wolf who got caught by a bunch of humans who then first used him as a slave and later on, when they got tired of him, cut him up into pieces and ate him. Luffy didn't quite give him the reaction he was hoping for (even though both Ace and Sabo got mad at him for filling their little brother's head with more creepy shit) but it still gave him the chills.

Luffy knows that humans are dangerous, otherwise he and the pack wouldn't have to live in such a remote place, far away from the village and unknown to its citizens. But still, despite all the warnings and stories, his curiosity hasn't changed. He is scared of them, doesn't necessarily needs to meet them eye to eye like Shanks does (though the humans obviously have no idea what Shanks really is) but watching them from a distance is something that is still on his to-do list.

He grins and looks up at the night sky, "Once I'll find you two, I'll make sure that you won't ever dump me again!"

* * *

Ace laughs loudly as both he and Sabo walk down the stairs, just gotten back from their own hunting trip. A big tiger bounces off the steps, trailing behind Ace's figure and Sabo has got his hands filled with dead birds. The hats are thrown off now that they're inside and the ears, covered in twigs and mud, are all out. Ace has a big, proud grin on his face while Sabo is just simply smiling though the smugness can't be missed.

"Got to hand it to you, Ace. You actually managed to get that tiger." Sabo says once they've set foot on solid grounds. Ace rolls his eyes and pulls the tail as he says back to his brother, "Cut the act, Sabo. I didn't do it alone, don't be modest. Seriously, don't. It's making me feel uncomfortable."

Sabo chuckles out loud and sticks out his tongue at Ace in a childish manner, moving the birds in his arms in a better position while leading the way to the wooden hut. It's impossible to move the tiger all the way up, but there is no way that they're going to leave it anywhere far away from their house.

Nobody bats a eye at them when they drag the tiger across the plaza to get it to their home. Everyone in the pack has gotten very used to the brothers' rather extravagant way of hunting. It helps that their father is exactly the same but sometimes alpha males from packs that happen to pass their territory gaze at the brothers is such confusion that it makes even Roger's pack wonder whether or not their alpha's family is normal for werewolf standards.

After leaving the tiger under the hut, the two brothers race up the stairs and unto the bridge. Ace is the first one to break into the home and he exclaims, "Oi, Luffy! We brought food home! Eh?"

He only now notices how it's only his parents in the room, looking up at him the second he opens his mouth. He frowns and his mother speaks up, turning her body fully to face him, "Are you looking for Luffy? He left just half an hour ago. I don't know where he disappeared off to, but you'll have to look for him down there if you want to talk to him."

Roger scratches behind his head and adds, also casting his eyes to Sabo who has joined Ace's side, "He was quite upset when he got home. Something about you guys being traitors. Did you run off without him?" He chuckles a little at their faces, shaking his head. Ace clears his throat and says, in a louder voice, "We can't always pay attention to the things he's doing, can we? It's nice to have him around but since he is still too young to be on his own, it's kind of a pain in the ass to always watch over him."

Rouge raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms, "Then at least tell him. He was throwing a fit over here because you guys ditched him. He said he was hungry, so-"

"Couldn't you have stopped him then?! We went out of our way to hunt for food for all three of us! We're not _that_ heartless!" Ace exclaims, throwing one of Sabo's birds on the ground. Sabo hits him and bends down to grab it again, saying as he looks up, "We knew we'd be faster if it was just the two of us, considering how Luffy always runs off. We're sorry, we should have told him. Do you have any idea where he might have gone off to?"

Rouge shakes her head and turns back to pull the hood on her husband's head a little tighter, "He might be with Law or Chopper, but I don't know. I hope to god that he didn't go out his way to look for you yourself."

"He wouldn't. He knows I will take away his meat if I catch him doing that. It worked last time, so I'm sure it has gotten to him." Roger says in a proud voice, smiling at his wife. Rouge doesn't look impressed and lightly scolds, "You got him to cry, that's what you did." Roger chuckles and lightly nuzzles his nose against Rouge's cheek.

Ace and Sabo, however, have frozen right on the spot and one shared look is enough to understand that they are thinking the same thing. Ace can feel himself get angry while Sabo inwardly groans, resisting the urge to run his hand over his face.

He turns back to the boys and says, finally ready to go, "Boys, I'm going to hunt for tonight but I take it I only need to save food for your mother and I? Can't you guys ever wait for the hunters to catch our food?"

Ace rolls his eyes and mutters, "That'll take too long." His posture is still frozen but Sabo's hand on his shoulder, that is urging him to get a move on, wakes him up from his thinking of ways to beat some sense into his little brother. Sabo also clears his throat, carefully placing the dead birds in the wooden ground, "Well then, father. Have a great hunt."

"Thank you, my boy. Take care of your mother while I'm gone, alright?" He gives his wife another kiss, ruffles Ace's and Sabo's hair and walks out of their hut. All the hunters are already grouping together on ground level.

Their pack is small in comparison to the average packs so it's not difficult to know all the hunters.

Shanks, a red-furred wolf who is allowed to go into the human village for supplies that they can't get from the forest or the big dumpster on the other side of the mountains.

Benn, a wise wolf who joins Shanks to the village to keep him in check.

Buggy, a hot-tempered wolf who is overconfident but clumsy.

Crocodile, the wolf that scared them all when they were actual pups.

Doflamingo, a creep who is good at hunting but who also doesn't hold back. His brother Rosinante, who is the complete opposite of that.

Rayleigh, the old wolf who is too wise for his own good and who is also Roger's right hand. He is like an uncle to the three brothers. Or at least the most important uncle, since the whole pack sees each other as family.

There is also Garp, the old geezer that they call grandfather. He is not related to them in any way, but before Ace and Sabo were born, Garp got bitten by a foreign wolf and Roger let him into the pack for safety reasons. He stayed and was there when all three were born. He took it upon himself to act like their grandfather and while they let him in the beginning, Ace regrets it. The old wolf is bat shit crazy and it has often made him wonder what the old man was like as a human.

Of course Luffy had asked about it when he was little, but Garp has not once let out a word about his past. Frankly, it makes Ace a little suspicious of him but he doesn't have much time to suspect his grandfather when all the man does is chase and hurt them, 'out of love'.

Sabo waits for their father to be completely out of sight before he turns to his mother to give her a big gummy smile as he says, tugging his hat, "If you don't mind, mother, we'd like to search around for our little brother. Let him know the food is here."

Rouge smiles back and nods, "Sure, you guys go do that. Make sure to be back by the time the hunters return."

"Will do so! Let's go, Ace."

Sabo grabs Ace's arm and drags him onto the bridge. He pushes him in front him and looks down on the hunters, watching how their father gives the regular instructions before they all start howling to finally go on their way.

Ace scoffs a little before he says, feeling very tense, "I swear, that idiot is going to get himself killed one day if this keeps going." Sabo tenses as well, not taking it as a light joke. Human hunters have very specific times when they go into the woods, but there are plenty of times where a stray hunter has found his way near the pack during hours where they aren't expected. Being careful is just one of the many important rules to learn when being a wolf.

But let that be the one thing that Luffy isn't.

"Ace, we promised never to think that way. I'm sure Luffy is fine. He didn't leave that long ago, he can't be that far off." Sabo reasons, swallowing away the light worry that is starting to build up. Ace clearly shares the same feeling and tightly grabs the rope that serves as a railing, hissing as his teeth grow longer and his fingers morph into claws, "When we find him, I swear. His share of meat will be halved."

Sabo sighs and makes himself smile, pushing Ace forward while saying, "Then we better hurry. The hunters are gone so we're safe to go."

* * *

Luffy smells every single rock, every single flower and every single tree, just trying to find the familiar smell that belongs to his brothers. He's been at it longer than he meant to, but that's mainly because Luffy jumps at every rabbit or snake that passes him by. He failed all of them, frustrating his hunger problem even more.

"If they only cared a little more, they'd have stayed behind. Stupid brothers. Next time _I'll_ be the one to leave them behind." Luffy grumbles to himself, looking up at the dark trees when he hears the flapping of a flock of birds above him. The moonlight is blocked by the leaves and little stripes of light fall down on the wet grass here and there. Luffy avoids stepping into the light and stays close to the darkness of the trees, sniffing his way as he goes.

He is about to turn back and go into the other direction when his nose suddenly catches a very, very nice smell. Luffy's mouth starts to water at the smell of fresh meat and he immediately moves his head up, his ears happily flopping up and down. His tail shots up and his tongue finds his way out of his mouth. His paws start moving on its own and before Luffy knows it, he sees a whole bunch of lights, together with the sound of voices.

Unfamiliar voices, that Luffy can't understand because it's all mixed up.

He halts his walking and stares at the lights, squinting his eyes a little to get a better view of it. He gulps and looks around him, suddenly aware of the fact that this is not part of the forest surrounding their cave. Luffy has seen all the corners and hidden places of the forest, most likely this part as well. But the pure fact that not even his father or brothers have taken him here, can only mean one thing.

" _Don't go where the lights are. They belong to the humans. Lights are dangerous."_

His father's voice rings through the back of his head and Luffy's eyes grow wide. Has he wandered off that far away from the cave? That's impossible! He would have noticed, right? Luffy shakes his head and looks up again. The lights are still there and without even wanting it, his heart start to beat faster. He gulps and sets a couple of steps backwards, wanting to turn around and run back. It may take some time to find the familiar domain again, but he'll find it.

However, the smell of meat meets his nose again and Luffy groans out of pure frustration. He meant to find his brothers and make them find food with him, but he has been looking around for what feels like hours and his hunger has only grown worse by the second.

The smell of meat is not helping him in any way. In fact, it makes his stomach growl and his heart rate go even faster. With spit dripping down on the wet leaves, Luffy dares to set foot closer to the cheerful looking village again. He rushes up to a bush and changes back into his human form.

Luffy looks around him before sticking his head up to get a better view of the place. His eyes dart over the area and notices that there are almost no people. He slightly tilts his head to the side, not even hiding the curious look in his eyes, when he sees a tall man carrying a barrel in his arms.

Luffy's mouth forms an 'oh' and with widened eyes he follows the tall looking man until he is out of sight. He looks around him once again before pushing himself up a little to get an even better view of the place. He swallows away the slight fear and makes up his mind.

The meat wins it in his head and he makes a little fist with his hand. "Yosh, as long as the humans don't see my ears, they won't know I'm a werewolf. They'll think I'm one of them. Just like Shanks always does." He snickers a little at the thought of Shanks and puts the strawhat back on his black hair, successfully covering the big ears that always stick out.

Like the brave wolf he is, Luffy sets foot into the village and lets the smell of meat guide him through the houses. Luffy sneaks glances at all the homes around him and pouts a little at the size of them. His home is not even close to that, not at all. Why do the humans get to have all the nice stuff?

The world is unfair, is what Sabo would say.

They can suck it, is what Ace would say.

Luffy feels a little worried at the thought of his brothers, who must still be roaming around the forest right now. They'll be fine, is what Luffy makes himself think. Of course they're fine, they are two of their strongest wolves and have very clearly stated that they don't need any help in cases of danger.

Roger begs to differs, especially after the traumatizing events with Ace.

Luffy shakes all the nasty thoughts of his head and soon finds himself standing in front of a very bright looking place. He looks up and tilts his head to read the big name right above the entrance.

"Party's bar? Is this where the party is at?" Luffy wonders out loud and snaps his head back down when he hears a voice shout something, sounding like he is on the verge of crying. It is followed by laughter and Luffy's curiosity takes the better of him.

Without sparing as much as a glance around him, Luffy walks up the entrance and pushes the door open. He is met by a bright light and lots of people inside. And by lots, he means a lot. The whole place is packed, leave alone a lonely stool at the bar. The people are all merrily talking to one another, laughing and bickering their way through the night.

Luffy feels sweat break out at the sight of the humans. He has never met a single one in his life and right now, there are too many to count. He sees a couple of them look up at him and he needs to take a deep breath before he feels brave enough to walk further into the busy bar. He shakes his head to get rid of the annoying thoughts in his mind and ignores all the curious glances that are thrown his way.

The people at the bar all do the exact same thing once he arrives and Luffy turns to look at them with his best smile. He considers saying something to them but the smell of meat is undeniably strong in here and Luffy wastes no time with slamming his hands on the counter to exclaim, "I would like some meat, please! A lot!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Enjoy:)**

* * *

With an open mouth, Usopp stares at the complete stranger that just so happily walked into Makino's bar. The boy doesn't look a day older than himself and has seated himself on the empty stool between Sanji and Franky, clearly not having a care in the world. It doesn't look like he really gives a damn about the fact that he is the only stranger in here and is leaning over the counter, looking around for someone to give him... meat?

Brook, almost carefully, walks up to him and asks, "Good evening, or should I say good night? Meat, you say? You could smell that from outside?"

The boy snickers and eagerly nods, his mouth almost looking like it's watering, "Of course I could, with a smell as strong as that. Do you still have it? I'm very hungry at the moment!"

Usopp takes the moment to examine the strange kid, who doesn't shy away from staring directly into Brook's very confused eyes. The one thing that immediately stands out is the big straw hat, firmly planted on top of his messy black hair. The hair has mud in it, indicating that he might have been in the forest. He is wearing a dark red cloak, with a hood bouncing on his back. The cloak is kept in place on top with a button. Usopp doesn't have a great view on what else the boy wears but from what it seems he has on short blue trousers, with old-looking sandals on his feet.

He looks rather odd overall and the way he just barged in, demanding food, doesn't make it any better.

Usopp shares a look with Zoro, who has one raised eyebrow directed at the stranger. He has halted his drinking game for a moment but continues anyway after Brook leaves to actually get some meat for the hungry guest. Sanji is looking him up and down, with a very skeptical look on his face, not sure what to make out of him at all. Robin is looking at him in mere curiosity, as is Franky.

Nami, on the other hand, tilts her head to the side before clearing her throat to speak up (much to Usopp's dismay), "Hello, sir! I don't believe I've seen you around here, what brings you to our town?"

Usopp shots up, looking at Nami with big eyes that just scream 'what the fuck did you just do' but she really couldn't care any less and gives her best smile to the stranger, who has managed to attract the attention of everyone in the bar. Even from Marco, who is known to not be the one to judge people. He leaves them be, doesn't mind them at all. Thatch, however, seems to be looking the boy over as well with a very curious look in his eyes. Izo notices it and pulls him back, but can't help to stare for a good minute as well.

The boy looks at Nami, his head turning with the speed of lighting. He slightly tilts his head like a lost puppy before answering, "I smelt food. So I followed the scent. Now I'm here." He looks around the bar, as if testing whether or not he said something stupid. When he notices all eyes are directed at him, his cheeks turn red though he easily keeps his posture before turning back. The boy tugs his straw hat, coughing afterwards.

Usopp stares at him, not sure what the make of this whole little show. Nami doesn't know either and grins uneasy, answering the boy, "Oh. Really? That's it?"

"Why, is it not a good answer?" the boy asks suddenly very concerned sounding. Nami immediately shakes her head, noticing how uneasy she makes the boy and exclaims, "That's not what I'm saying at all! Don't worry, you've, eh, you've answered my question."

"Okay! Good." the boy answers, the gummy smile back on his face. Nami sends Usopp a helpless glance but Usopp just shrugs, not knowing what to do either. However, he is always the one to break the ice when it comes to new people so it's no surprise that all of his friends are now looking at him, clearly expecting him to say something. Sanji wildly points at the boy, biting his lip as he goes. Zoro goes as far as to give him a push in the back, nearly pushing him off his stool.

Usopp loses his balance but before he falls down, an arm appears out of nowhere and he gets pulled back on the stool, with a dazed expression. He flutters his eyes, shooting one death glare into Zoro's direction, and finds that the stranger is holding his shirt. Usopp looks down and up again, at least three times, before the boy gets the message. He is quick with letting go but Usopp seizes the chance to start a proper conversation.

Unlike what Nami just tried to do.

He can feel practically the whole bar staring at him, so quiet that you could hear a pin fall down. He loudly clears his throat and says, "Thank you... kid. My awful friend nearly killed me just now."

" _Oi_ -"

The boy snickers and puts both his hands on the counter, saying in a cheerful voice, "That would have been bad, wouldn't it? And I'm not a kid, you know. I'm almost seventeen."

'Seventeen?' Usopp thinks before giving the boy a surprised look.

"Then I was right with thinking you're about my age. Congratulations, you're the same age as the greatest warrior in town!" Usopp says, pushing his chest out. Sanji rolls his eyes, making sure that Usopp can see it, and points out, "Greatest warrior, my ass. Greatest coward is more like it."

The boy once again tilts his head to the side, crossing his arms, "Why? Are you afraid of everything? Shishi, don't worry. There is nothing to be scared of in this world." The boy looks down, mumbling a small 'nothing' to himself. Usopp is once again at a loss of what to do. The conversation was starting to go somewhere and now he acts weird again.

What is with this guy?

Usopp clears his head space and makes himself smile again, asking, "I'm sure there is enough to be scared of. Anyway, enough about me. Where are you from? You're not from around here, are you?"

The boy opens his mouth to answer but then Brook puts a whole plate of meat in front of him and a loud 'ooh!' escapes the boy's lips before he almost dives on top of the meat. He wastes no time in being proper as he grabs the first piece of meat to rip off it's flesh like some wild animal. In no time, the first piece is gone and he starts his second.

With an open mouth, Usopp and his friends stare at the still nameless boy. Robin can't help but smile a little, which she always does, and she leans on one hand to stare at the wild guy. Franky has one eyebrow raised, just about to drink another bottle of cola but having stopped once the boy went crazy at the sight of meat.

Sanji looks disgusted in the least, looking directly down on the plate next to him. Being a chef meant that he learnt all the proper manners and etiquettes that are part of the whole eating process and this certainly doesn't fit those descriptions.

Usopp can almost hear him thinking how disrespectful this kid is being with his food.

Zoro, always the least one of all to ever show some sort of emotion, is looking at him in surprise, also having one eyebrow raised. His mouth is slightly open, his hand loosely around another can of beer. Usopp himself is leaning forward with a mixture of curiosity and shock, never having seen someone eat so eagerly as this boy.

Brook, who is still standing in front of him, can't stop himself from laughing and speaks up, "My boy, what an apatite you have. I would almost think you haven't eaten in months."

Usopp turns pale all of a sudden. What if that is indeed the case? It all makes sense then! This boy, all alone, has lost his family and is now aimlessly looking around for a place to call home. He has been homeless for two months at least, hasn't been washed and hasn't eaten a full meal in those two months.

It's all so clear to Usopp now and he suddenly feels beyond guilty. He can't help but sigh, directing some of the attention towards him. He crosses his arms and looks up, biting his lip before saying, "Brook, you just hit the hammer on the nail. I just figured it all out! Poor man, don't say anything, you don't need to explain. My heart and soul are with you. Eat all you want!"

"Usopp, what the fuck are you talking about?!" Sanji hisses, looking away when the boy's head whips up and with a mouth filled with food he speaks up, raising a fist up in the air, "Twank ywou, swir!"

Usopp raises a hand into Sanji's direction, successfully making Sanji glare at him.

"You uneducated swines would have never understood this guy without me around." Usopp says and shrieks when Sanji gets up to hit him before exclaiming, "Don't tall shit already, oi! Just what's going on with you all of a sudden? You figured _what_ out?!"

"Did our dear Usopp find out the mystery that is the stranger?" Robin, always the one to stay calm, asks with a sweet smile. Usopp immediately nods and continues, his voice dropping an octave, "There's no denying it. This boy must have lost everything he ever owned and has been homeless ever since. Starving, alone. It's clear as day."

"Eh?" Nami squeaks in a high pitched voice. She immediately turns around to the boy next to Sanji, looking at him with widened and then skeptic eyes, moving them back up to Usopp. He looks hella proud of himself but Zoro breaks it off, his rough voice cutting through the air, "How are you so sure, detective long-nose?"

Usopp looks offended about both the name and the distrust in him. He gapes at Zoro in disbelief before sputtering, wildly pointing towards the nameless guy, "How?! Look at him! Doesn't that scream homeless?"

Zoro spares the guy a glance and shrugs, grabbing his beer as he fires back, "All I can see is someone whose stomach couldn't wait much longer. Don't make assumptions about things you don't know anything about."

"He doesn't let much out anyway." Usopp mutters, his pride gone with the wind. He looks at the boy, who is staring back at him with eyes that want to say something. His mouth is still filled with food though and after digesting it all, the boy pouts and says, "Ooi, what are you talking about? I always eat like this, isn't that what humans do?"

"No! Not like that! What are you, a wild man?! Didn't anyone ever teach you manners?!" Sanji suddenly explodes, giving the boy a very exasperate glare. Nami is quick with slamming her hand against his chest as she snaps, "Sanji! You can't talk to strangers like that!" Usopp has to agree with her, pale as a sheet.

'Well shit, Sanji. You just ruined everything', is all what's going through Usopp's blank mind at the moment. Zoro is giving Sanji a 'what-the-fuck' glare and shakes his head in annoyance.

The boy looks up at Sanji with confused eyes, gaping at him like a fish on dry land. He looks around him, his mouth still open, and turns back to Sanji, who is still standing, despite Nami's efforts.

"I-it's not?" the boy stutters, suddenly looking lost. He is staring at Sanji with the eyes of a scared ten-year-old, probably wondering what he did wrong. Usopp wants to slam his head against the counter, groaning on the inside. Sanji's anger simmers down and he suddenly looks a little guilty. Not enough to back down from his statement, but enough to at least be manly enough to ask, "Sir? I probably shouldn't have said that, even though it's true- " _SANJI!_ " - but I guess I should say sorry?"

He turns to look at Robin, as if mentally asking her if that's the right thing. Usopp facepalms but before he can make a sound, it's Robin who speaks up this time.

"Don't mind our friend too much, stranger-san. He's a chef, he takes food-related business very serious. Your eating manner was just fine."

"'Stranger-san', Robin don't call him that." Nami groans and Franky laughs in return, exclaiming in his usual loud voice, "Oi, let's not be so down people! Here, the next round is on me! Meat-boy, can you handle alcohol well?"

 _Meat-boy_ seems surprised with the nickname and says, already reaching for the next piece of meat like Sanji hadn't just exploded at him, "Alcohol? I don't know, they always take it away from me whenever I'm handed that stuff. And I'm not stranger-san or meat-boy. Those are weird names. Though, are those names common in the human- this village?" He is quick with correcting himself, Usopp notices. He pretends he doesn't and answers, "Of course they're not, those are not fucking names."

"Oh. Well, my name is Luffy. So call me Luffy." the boy says with a big grin on his face, taking another big bite into the fresh flesh, now not minding Sanji's cringing on the side. Usopp smiles, slowly nodding. _Luffy_. That's an interesting name but Usopp can work with it.

"Brook! Two more beer for me and our new friend Luffy over here!"

"But-"

" _Two more beer_!"

* * *

"I fucking swear, if that boy got caught by some lunatic bear, I will kill both the bear and him!"

Sabo sighs, about to tune out all of Ace's rants. They have been going on ever since the two set foot into the dark and cold forest again and Ace hasn't stopped once. He keeps muttering and cursing about Luffy being an 'irresponsible little shit who needs constant babysitting even though he claims he doesn't'. It's the same old story again. Luffy always complains about being treated like a little kid even though he is already sixteen. He can handle things on his own, he claims. Roger doesn't think so, his mother is just being careful with him. Ace knows Luffy is a very capable wolf when it's needed, but when the boy is in one of his reckless moods, their little brother is unpredictable.

"Ace, I'm going to stuff a dead rabbit in your mouth if you don't shut up now. Whining is not going to help finding Luffy. And if we don't hurry this up, mom and dad are going to suspect something and that's the last thing I want for today." Sabo growls, directing it at his brother. Ace licks his lips in annoyance but has no other choice than to agree with him.

"Fine, but only because I don't want another one of dad's irritating scoldings. That crazy bastard always acts like we're grown up enough to go hunting but once things don't go as he pleases, we're all five again. Spare me that torture."

Sabo grins, "Good, then we agree on something. Now, where could Luffy possibly have gone?" He moves his nose up in the air, trying to catch Luffy's smell. The brothers share a scent, coming from the same family, but there is something distinct in all three that only they and their parents can smell. Or are able to set apart. They spend so much time together that it'd be difficult _not_ to catch the tiny differences in them.

Ace is doing the same thing, letting his nose slide over the leaves and grass. Whenever he hears something coming their way or just the mere cracking of leaves, his ears stand up. If it's nearby, he moves his whole head up but he wants to keep his attention on the smell rather than making guesses about every creature.

He sniffs his way slowly through the forest, following Sabo as well, who is on the other side of the path they're following.

As they progress further into the forest and further away from the cave, Sabo starts to feel strange. Shouldn't they have caught onto his scent by now? He stops walking and looks up, calling out to Ace, "Ace! Don't you think we're starting to wander off too much? We're almost out of our domain."

Ace comes to a halt as well and moves his head down, frowning afterwards. He looks around him and only now realizes how far from home they are. There is no denying that they'll find their way back, but there is a big chance that Luffy is somewhere around here too and Ace is not so sure at all about him.

"But we've checked all around the cave and there is no scent that belongs to Lu." Ace says, walking back to where Sabo is. He looks around him and continues, once he is close enough to his twin brother, "He has to be here, there is no other way. Where else could he have went off too?"

Sabo looks troubled, not wanting to say what's on his mind. He licks his teeth, slowly as he is thinking hard about any other outcome. Sabo releases a loud sigh and says, moving his eyes up to his by now worried-looking brother, "We're too far from the cave, which can only mean that we're too close to the human village. I can't see it yet but if we keep moving forward we must run into it in no time."

Ace squints his yellow eyes at him, not saying anything for a moment. Sabo stares back him, his eyes not once deceiving him. Ace's grow wide the very second he gets what Sabo is thinking about and he wastes no time in shaking his wild fur, hissing, "He wouldn't. Damn it, Sabo. He _wouldn't_."

"He _would_ and we both know it! That kid has been interested in those... humans ever since the day he was born. Ace, I don't want this to be true but my guts are telling me that it is. We have to get that little idiot back before anyone notices a single thing! What if mom and dad find out?!"

"Then we're in deep shit." Ace cuts Sabo's worried ranting short and looks pissed as hell, fully aware that Sabo is right about it. Luffy has always been fascinated by the creatures that kill werewolves once they see one. Ace doesn't understand it. Humans kill their kind because they look down on them, because they think they're the monsters and not them. Humans have hurt their pack, their family, in more ways than Ace thought was possible. They have hurt _him_ and there isn't a single thing in the world that Ace can think of that he hates more.

Why did he have to get a little brother who has a sickening obsession with wanting to see the humans? The little idiot is aware of their hunting and Ace knows he is scared of them, especially because of what happened when Ace got captured. They grow up on the creepy stories and warnings about humans. It's in their nature to be scared of them. It's also in Luffy's nature but he also wants to observe the humans, from a distance. Their parents have strictly forbidden him to get anywhere near the lights and they tell him every day again. Ace and Sabo had heard the same speech when they were young but they got the message from day one.

Luffy didn't.

And very clearly, still doesn't.

"The little shit. Fuck, fuck all of this." Ace all but growls, baring his teeth at Sabo. Sabo isn't scared of it but backs away a little, calling out, "Ace."

"I fucking know. We have to get him back before anything serious happens. Or save him if this 'anything' already happened. Let's go and get this over with. Just so you know," Ace runs ahead and throws a look over his shoulder to finish his sentence, "I will beat the crap out of any human who touched our little brother."

Sabo doesn't have it in him to smile at that and also bares his teeth, sharing the feeling with Ace. He dashes after the older one and starts to feel more anxious the closer they get to the village.

It doesn't take long for bright lights to appear between the leaves and both brothers immediately slow down their running until the point they aren't moving. Ace pants a little and glares at the homes, not bothering to hide his disgust. Sabo remains his posture and straightens his back in an attempt to get rid of the growing anxiety that he is feeling. He has never been near the village in his life and he doesn't know how Shanks and Benn do it every time. Just looking at it makes him feel scared, which Sabo hates. He shouldn't be scared, he is way stronger than any human he will ever encounter. He should feel anxious about the fact that they're so close when it's forbidden for any werewolf under the age of twenty to be nearby.

But even the grown-ups feel uneasy with the thought of entering a human village, even in their human form. The fear of being caught is luring from the dark, ready to jump out at any second.

The two turn into their human form and press against their hats, hiding the ears even in the safe darkness of the forest. They sneak closer and jump behind a tree, peeking around it to make sure there is no one around.

Ace and Sabo share a look and nod. As casual as possible, they step out of the forest and into the village. The uneasy feeling does not go away and Sabo already regrets being here. The thought of Luffy being here doesn't help and he just wants their little brother out of here as soon as possible. Ace shares the same thought and hisses like an angry pup, "You take that way, I'll go that way. Once we find Luffy, we're out of here. Whether I find him or you, we have to make sure not to leave anyone behind."

Sabo nods and adds to it, glaring around him, "I don't need to ask you not to interact with any humans, right? Just follow Luffy's scent and we'll be find."

"You don't need to repeat." Ace mutters and gives Sabo one last glance, mentally telling him to be careful, and takes off. He keeps one hand on the cowboy hat and the other in the pocket of his baggy shorts, trying to act as natural as possible. Sabo soon follows his lead, going into the other direction.

* * *

Ace curses all the gods in the world for this. He thought it'd be easy to find Luffy's scent but the whole village reeks of alcohol and scents that belong to humans. He is happy that the streets are near empty but he hates having to walk here. The lights are bright, even at homes that appear to be empty. The houses are big and he can make out stores here and there. There is a lost dog tied up to a pole near a home, that starts barking at the sight of Ace.

Ace's eyes turn wide and he rushes up to the dog, looking straight into it's eyes to let it know who's boss. The dog soon whimpers and Ace smirks before getting up to turn around and look for Luffy. However, the sound of a door opening makes him freeze right on the spot and he doesn't have it in him to turn around and face whoever just walked out.

"Well, good evening, sir. I'm sorry to say that business for today is closed but is there anything else I can help you with?"

He now curses all the gods and whatever holy creature exists elsewhere.

He can't talk to humans, he can't. So he does the only logical thing one does in a situation like this.

Ace runs away with his werewolf speed, not even caring enough to throw a look over his shoulder to see what the human looks like. He had an old voice, yet sounded like he was high on the energy of a youngster. Ace shakes his head, getting rid of the thought about it.

Once he finds Luffy, he will drag his wolf ass back home and make sure that he'll finally understand not to set foot into a human village, ever again.

Ace runs around, aimlessly, until suddenly a scent meets his trained nose. A scent that he could recognize from a mile away. It is very strong, as if Luffy is right next to him. And when he hears that laugh that always makes his day slightly better, he knows he found him.

He whips his head to the side and finds himself standing in front of an odd looking place. He puts both hands into the pockets of his shorts and stares up at the sign. It appears to be a bar. Ace growls. Why isn't he surprised? His mother did say Luffy was hungry. The little shit followed his nose and ended up smelling food from the humans.

Leave it to Luffy to go to a human village because the boy is hungry.

Ace's face darkens and he pushes the cowboy hat down to the point that you can't see the features on his face anymore. He steps forward and without any hesitation or thinking about possible consequences, he slams the two swing doors open, letting the wood smash against the wall behind it.

It draws immediate attention. The whole bar moves their eyes up at him, the festive mood down in less than a second. Ace hates all the eyes on him, hates the scent of humans so close to him but there is no way out of here now. He glares up, making sure that the hat covers most of face, and right away he notices the odd figure in the middle of the bar, who also happens to be the only one who isn't staring at him. He is chewing away on what smells like meat and Ace doesn't need any more conformation.

He strides forward with his long legs, ignoring all the burning stares, and reaches out for Luffy once he is near enough. He wraps his arm around Luffy's neck, finally making his brother snap his head up at him. At the sight of Ace, Luffy's face lights up but soon turns into a pout when he sees the deathly scowl that is resting on his brother's face.

"Ac-" Luffy starts but Ace covers his lips with his hand, his claws almost coming out as a result of his anger and frustration. He throws a look over Luffy's shoulder, his eyes meeting with a blond-haired human. The man has got a cigarette between his lips and is staring back at him with narrowed eyes. Ace sneers and wastes no more time. He all but drags Luffy from his stool, not giving a damn about all the meat that falls out of Luffy's hands and on the ground. It almost echoes because of the quietness in the bar and Ace's footsteps sound three times as loud as they're supposed to sound. His heavy boots don't help much.

Luffy starts struggling, no doubt about the meat, but realizing that Ace is never going to let him go, he stops moving a little and calls out, as soon as he is able to remove his brother's tight fingers, "The meat was good, afro-dude! Bye!" Ace feels his blood pressure go up and slams his hand over Luffy's mouth right away, getting more aggravated by the second.

With sheer force he kicks open the swing doors again and steps outside, dragging Luffy behind him. He doesn't turn back to see the damage he's left behind and looks around him, praying that Sabo is somewhat close. Luffy seems to understand the trouble he is in and has stopped struggling against his older brother. He is almost completely still and is looking down at the ground. Ace doesn't say anything either, too scared he'll shout something at Luffy that he's going to regret later on.

He takes Luffy away from the bar and as soon as the two are in the safe darkness of a nearby alley, Ace finally lets go of Luffy's mouth. He keeps his brother close to him though and peeks around the corner of the house. Luffy shuffles around with his feet, uneasy. He clears his throat and looks up at his brother.

"Ace? I know I shouldn't have gone here, I do. But-"

"Do _not_ start this with me now. I'm so fucking angry at you right now but until Sabo is here, this conversation is over."

Luffy looks down, uncharacteristically quiet. Ace has been angry with him before, plenty of times. Most of the time he can bail himself out with jokes and laughing at his brother's constant worrying. But those times he caused innocent trouble, like knocking over all of Kureha's bottles or breaking a leg because he wanted to catch a bird high up. Luffy is a carefree wolf, sees the positive side in everything.

Right now, he can't make himself laugh at his brother. Ace is not just angry, the man is furious. He's not even willing to talk to him or scold him. That says enough.

Ace lets out a sigh and turns around to look at his brother, who is watching his toes wiggle up and down. He has every single right to be pissed at Luffy but that doesn't mean he likes seeing his brother like that. It's unlike him and most certainly doesn't suit him either. He groans. Why wasn't it Sabo who found him? He knows exactly how to deal with situations like this.

"Ace! What the hell are you doing here?! We have to find Luffy and – Luffy!"

Ace looks up, so fast that he can feel his neck starting to hurt, and finds Sabo standing there. Just like Ace, his face is shadowed by his top hat but he looks every bit of anxious. The blonde runs up to Luffy and throws his hand on his shoulder, hissing, "You! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Luffy bites on his lip and mutters, "'m sorry.."

"Sorry is not going to cut it this time." Sabo is quick with answering back and snaps his head up at Ace, who asks with a frown on his face, "Where the hell have you gone?"

"Does it really matter? We have to go. Now."

Ace doesn't answer and grabs Luffy again, running after Sabo into the opposite direction. Sabo leads the way as the three brothers make a run for the forest, that is luckily very close to the bar. Ace first lets his younger brothers get into the forest before snarling towards the village and going after them.

Once they're into the shadows of the trees, they turn into their wolf form and run back towards the cave. It's not surprising that Sabo remembers the way and soon, the three find themselves back on familiar domain. They turn back and find their breath again before the twins lock their eyes onto the youngest, who is still looking down.

Sabo is the first one to speak up, breaking the awkward silence.

"Do you have _any_ idea what kind of dangerous stunt you just pulled? Luffy! One wrong move and they could have found out what you are! This isn't just another pack of rival wolves, these were humans you were dealing with! You could have gotten yourself killed, for god's sake!" Sabo exclaims, throwing his hand out as he looks at Luffy in frustration, eyes pleading the young wolf to please understand his point.

Ace is watching Sabo with his arms crossed, glance darkened as the time goes on. He hasn't said a single word from the moment they ran out of the village and frankly, he doesn't know what to say. He always thought of himself as a good older brother, who is good at handling his younger sibling's crazy moods. But when it's actually serious and his parents are not around to do the job for him, there are no words that come out.

He has so much to say, but half of it is stuff that he doesn't want Luffy to hear. Too often it happened that he blurted out words that made Luffy not talk to him for at least two weeks. Luffy is bad at hiding his emotions and while he acts like nothing is wrong, _everyone_ knows something is wrong.

Ace hates it, every time that happens. He has trouble keeping his mouth shut but as long as Sabo keeps going, he can think of other things to add to whatever is coming out of Sabo's mouth.

"Luffy, do you hear me? I am not joking around here! That was dangerous!" Sabo exclaims and Luffy looks up, chewing on his lip before he says, eyes flickering between Sabo and Ace, "I.. I was hungry, okay? Mom said you guys were out, so my initial thought was to find you. B-but, I smelt food and I just followed it."

Ace deadpans, finally speaking up, his voice hoarse, "You just followed it. _You just followed it_? And you didn't think when you saw those fucking houses to maybe turn around?" He steps closer to his brothers, his glare not getting any brighter. Luffy's eyes grow a little wider and without showing any fear for his brothers' wrath, though guilt is flickering through his eyes, he says in a high-pitched voice, "I did! I really did! I got scared once I saw the village but when I turned away, my stomach started to growl and I really couldn't keep it together anymore! I just.. I just needed to eat! And I was careful, seriously! I did it just like Shanks."

Sabo pinches the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, stopping himself from saying whatever curse he was about to say. Ace stares at Luffy's tense form, the corners of his lips twitching. Luffy is slightly trembling and loosens up a little, adding in a quieter voice, "I'm sorry. I know I'm stupid and I am truly, really, really sorry."

He looks up at his brothers like a kicked puppy and Ace can't stop himself from sighing. He groans out loud and walks up to Luffy. With the palm of his hand he hits his brother behind the head and scolds, "You fucking better, idiot! That's for making us worry and for disobeying the damn rules! I swear, if you ever do this again, I won't hesitate to skin you alive. You hear me?"

He reaches for Luffy's collar and pulls him closer, making his message a lot clearer. Feeling the tension slide away, Luffy is brave enough to grin at him and he says, "As long as Ace and Sabo aren't angry with me, I'll listen."

Sabo joins the two and puts his hand on Luffy's hand, empathizing their point even more as he says, "Stay away from the village and just keep it with your usual antics." He sighs and proceeds to pat Luffy on the head, slightly brushing the fluffy ears as well. Ace rolls his eyes and lets go of Luffy's collar. He then throws his arm around Luffy's shoulders, pushing him along with him as he mutters, "Stupid little kid, always causing us trouble. Be glad that it wasn't dad who found you."

Sabo's ears go up when he remembers the important fact that their father is out with the hunters and he pushes himself between his brothers, reminding them with a low voice, "Then let's hurry home. Dad doesn't want to find us out here when we're not part of the hunting group."

Without letting Luffy and Ace have a say in this, he chuckles and pushes them with him as he makes a run for the cave.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for reading:)**

* * *

"My head hurts, damn it. Stop whining, old geezer and just let me do my job already!"

Usopp flinches when Zeff kicks Sanji and snaps, keeping his leg up in the air, "Don't tell me what to do! It's your own damn fault for drinking too much last night. I already warned you not to do that and look what's come out of it. I expect nothing but your absolute best in the kitchen today!"

Sanji glares at his father, ignoring the way Usopp is just so openly staring right into the restaurant's kitchen, peeking from around the corner. It's the next morning, early that is, and Usopp has already found his way to the Baratie. It's not his fault there isn't much to do at home, he just prefers being outside.

He too has gotten quite the headache from last night and not just from the alcohol. The whole situation with the stranger, who Usopp has to keep reminding himself is called Luffy, and the creepy man who basically choked Luffy and kidnapped him is making it only worse. Probably just for Usopp though, because he has a feeling that Sanji didn't care for it much. Zoro doesn't spend time on thinking about stuff that happened in the past and knowing Nami, she just wants to forget it ever happened. The second guy freaked her out even more than Luffy did. Robin just goes with the flow, if someone wants to talk about it, she is ready to talk. Franky will most likely just laugh about it.

"You bastard, as if I won't! Can you get back to your own work now? The people are waiting." Sanji snaps and Usopp chirps, "Like me."

"You're not getting anything until I've served those lovely ladies over there. Your ass can wait." Sanji says, not missing a beat. Usopp pouts and mutters, "Unfair asshole.". Zeff rolls his eyes and glances at his son one last time, "I'm watching you, little eggplant."

"Whatever." Sanji mumbles and watches Zeff walk away, ready to start scolding some of the rookie chefs.

He shakes his head and reaches for a cigarette, fumbling around his pocket as his hands try to find the toxic stick. Usopp blankly stares at it and points out, "It's dangerous, you know."

He cowers away under Sanji's glare and the older snaps, "Do I look like I give a damn? I know, but when I started smoking it wasn't because I thought it was cool but-"

"But because it makes a hungry feeling go away, I get it. You've told us that so many times. It just doesn't change the fact that getting nicotine in your lungs is in any way healthy." Usopp interrupts Sanji, who in return snorts and lights up the cigarette.

"I don't need to hear that from you. Now hush and pick something to eat. Don't waste my precious time here."

Usopp deadpans at him but turns back into his chair to grab the menu. He doesn't know why he keeps doing it. He has been so often, he knows the menu like the back of his hand. And it's not like he ever picks anything other than fish, even in the mornings if it was up to him. However, Sanji knows all the favorite foods from every one of their friends and having noticed how, if it was up to them, they wouldn't eat anything else, he takes it upon himself to give them different food than what they ordered.

The bastard even makes them pay the full price for it, except for Nami and Robin.

So it's only natural to Usopp to now make the decision to go for the seasoned fish and expect Sanji to change it up because 'it's not balanced if you only eat the same thing every single day'. Usopp couldn't care less if he is being honest. He is not such a food freak that he balances out every meal and watches what he eat.

Usopp lets out a little burp and leans back in his chair, looking up at the lights on the ceiling. After the strange kid got dragged out of Party's Bar, it got quiet for a good whole minute. Usopp had contemplated going after them because what if that guy just so kidnapped a completely innocent boy, right in front of their face? He was frozen right on the spot, not being able to say a word. It was Robin who eventually pointed out that Luffy looked rather happy to see the man.

Usopp doesn't understand how.

Just thinking back about it causes a cold shiver to run over his back. The man didn't look friendly at all. He had a spooky glare on his face, half of it covered by a ridiculous cowboy hat. He looked ready to kill Luffy at any second and didn't waste time at all when he took him with him. It looked a lot like any other cliché scene from his father's stories. The cold hearted villain who shows up out of nowhere, completely shadowed and mysterious, and makes an entrance that can't be forgotten. He always looks like he is the only one in the room, not giving a damn about who is around him.

This was exactly that. Only ten times scarier.

Usopp doesn't know Luffy at all (other than his strange obsession with meat) so he has no idea how Luffy even knows 'the cold hearted villain'. Frankly, he is just surprised that Luffy wasn't completely on his own. He showed up out of the blue, a total stranger to everyone but only here for the food. How he even got in Foosha village is an annoying mystery to Usopp. Everything about him is a fucking mystery.

"Aargh!" Usopp moans out loud and covers his eyes with his hands, angrily scratching his skin out of annoyance. He is sure that Luffy won't show up again and that this whole show will become another one of Brook's stories that he is going to tell every single stranger that comes into the village. He'll blow it all out of proportion and make Foosha Village sound like a creepy place but he does that will all of his stories.

It works on Usopp though. His friends always laugh at him whenever Brook manages to scare him again.

He clears his throat in an awkward manner when he finds himself the center of attention and after feeling the painful glare that Sanji is throwing his way, Usopp, ever the subtle one, laughs it off and ends up wanting to hide in a dark cave.

* * *

"Your cargo seems to degrade every month. What's this supposed to be? A rug of some sort?"

Marco raises an eyebrow when he hears Thatch's voice cut through the air like a knife and turns away from the wooden box filled with old-fashioned guns. He places his hands on his hip and finds Thatch lifting up a long piece of cloth, presumably the 'rug' he is talking about.

The man on the other side of the crate narrows his eyes at the brown-haired guy and points at the rug, snapping with a voice that sounds like he has been smoking, "Don't start getting smart with me, merchant. Unlike most of the cargo that Whitebeard bets his money on, my company doesn't snatch it from trash. You know damn well I travel the world to get my hands on only the best of the best. _This rug_ is all the way from Alabasta, you can't get any better."

Thatch snorts and throws the rug back into the crate, answering with such a laid-back tone that he pisses of the other even more, "I have seen dishcloths that looked better than this shit. This fucking rug has so many holes in it, you can't call it a rug anymore! And from the looks of it, the rest of your cargo is not in any better state."

He puts his hands on the crate and leans forward, forcing the man to lean backwards.

"Like I said, your cargo seems to degrade every month. Here, I'll make you a deal. I'll take the rugs without any holes in it for 10.000 beri."

The man turns red and exclaims, making a fist at Thatch, "Don't fuck around with me! That's not even equivalent to the price of one small rug!"

Thatch grabs the fist and says in a low voice, "10.000 is damn high for the shit you're trying to sell us. Now you can either piss off or take what you get."

The man's eye starts to twitch and without any hesitation, he moves his fist forward to slam it into Thatch's face. However, Marco had seen it coming from a mile away and was already on his way before the man could even think about decorating Thatch's face with blood.

Marco grabs the fist and says, calmly yet obviously threatening, "Let's not resort to violence here, yoi. Thatch is right, your cargo has been lacking greatly these past few months. You should be happy that he even offered you a price to begin with. Now, to repeat Thatch's question in a more civilized manner, do you take the offer or will you take your cargo with you again, Fullbody?"

Fullbody aggressively pulls his fist out of Marco's tight hand and shouts, "You barbarians don't even deserve the beauty that Alabasta has to offer you! Don't expect me to ever come back here! The old bastard can suck it."

"Come on now, don't start insulting Pops." Thatch speaks up, angering Fullbody even more. The pink-haired man grabs the crate, realizes too late it's too heavy for him and in pure embarrassment, he shouts at his men to 'fucking pick this shit up already'. He storms off towards his ship, all the way at the end of the rather small dock.

Thatch watches him go in amusement before turning around to look at Marco with a dirty grin on his face. Marco frowns at him before he rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. He nods into Fullbody's direction and says, "Despite this disappointment, the company that he works for does have some nice goods that Pops always likes getting his hands on. I'm not sure he'll be very happy that you just chased away one of their top merchants, yoi."

"Top merchants, my ass. You saw the rugs too, they didn't come from Alabasta. The wool wasn't as refined, the quality just looked shit and even if they were from Alabasta, ain't anyone going to buy rugs with holes in it." Thatch retorts, huffing as he also crosses his arms.

Marco can't help but chuckle a little and he lets his eyes roam around the dock. It's crowded with with both merchants and traders, coming from different places around the world to do business with Pops. Whitebeard and his crew buy new goods (alcohol, weapons and generally exotic cargo that they can sell for a good price) to resell it at the Moby Dick, their main headquarters where they store all their stock and sell it to whoever is interested.

It's a whole happening that takes place once a month and just like every month, it's busy. Curiel is already carrying barrels filled with expensive wines from Dressrosa and a little further Izo is busy negotiating with a woman from Water 7, in front of him a whole crate with wood and nails. Whitebeard himself is just walking onto the dock, probably coming back from some conversation with another important client.

He is greeted by Vista, showing him a bunch of swords. Whitebeard shows the man a wide grin and it appears that he is absolutely satisfied with the bargain. He laughs loudly like only the old man can and locks eyes with Marco, who has been watching his boss from the second he appeared. Marco smiles at him and raises his hand as a greeting. Thatch is a little more out there and waves like a maniac, bellowing, "Pops! Over here!"

Whitebeard strides over to the two men and puts his big hand on Marco's shoulder the moment he arrives. He looks down on the them and asks, "Done any good business yet, boys? It looks like today is going to be a good day. I've only seen great stuff coming my way."

Marco stiffens a laugh and eyes Thatch, saying, "I've been going through our new gain and making sure that we've not been rigged. Thatch, wanna tell Pops what you've just done?"

"Don't make it sound as if I ruined the entire company, you asshole." Thatch quickly says, immediately looking up at Whitebeard. The older man is frowning at him, in a mixture of little confusion and amusement. Thatch clears his throat and leans on one of the many barrels surrounding them. He points at Fullbody's ship with his thumb and says, "Fullbody's cargo has been lacking severely these past few months. Today topped it all. Claimed that a couple of rugs were from Alabasta but I, with my amazingly trained eye, could see through that lie. Total garbage. There were holes in every single one of them! I told him what I thought about it but he didn't take it very nicely."

"He told him to either piss of or take the deal, yoi. In short, we've lost a client." Marco calmly adds, looking at Thatch. Whitebeard start laughing and he pats Thatch on his shoulder as he says, "I trust you did the right thing, son. How's it going with the other trades?"

Thatch wants to answer, but an obnoxiously loud voice cuts him off, bellowing with a smile in his voice, "Oi, old man! Good morning!"

Marco doesn't have to look up to know who it is yet he still does it. Thatch follows his example and the men lock their eyes on the man who just so happily walked onto the dock, accompanied by another guy. His red hair can't be missed, even with the straw hat on top of it. The companion is a tall man, his grey hair combed back and a cigarette hanging over his lips. A hood is loosely covering his head.

Whitebeard can't help but heaven a little sigh and looks at the man as well, greeting, "I'd be damned. Shanks, haven't seen you here in a while. Mind if I asked you about your whereabouts?"

Shanks chuckles, his eyes adverting from the ground up to Whitebeard.

"I was where I now am not. Does that answer your question, old man?" Shanks answers, a childish grin resting on his face. It's the exact type of answer that Marco would expect from Shanks. No one in the Whitebeard crew, not even Whitebeard, knows anything about Shanks, let alone about Benn, the man who always accompanies him. He is a mysterious man, who one day showed up out of the blue and has been doing so ever since. For as far as Marco knows, he doesn't live in the village but where else is a total guess for him. They don't know what he does for a living, if he has any family, even things that he likes and dislikes.

All they know is that, for whatever reason, he only has one arm and he comes and goes as he pleases, buying the things that not a single buyer wants. He even bought the cowboy hat that Marco used to play with as a child. He doesn't know why the hell Shanks needs a cowboy hat, but he bought it.

"I suppose it does. So, what can I do for you today?" Whitebeard says, not the one to ask further questions when it's obvious they won't be answered anyway. Shanks tightly presses his lips together, visibly thinking about what he wants. He crosses his arms and looks at Benn, asking, "What you reckon?"

Benn doesn't have to think long and says, "I'm pretty sure you came here for the alcohol, Shanks. Or are you going to spoil them even more?"

'There it is again,' Marco thinks. _Them._ That word is another thing to add to the mysterious aura around Shanks. Whoever are 'them', they've somehow always been the reason why Shanks took certain items that seemed completely out of place for a man like himself. Nobody asks who they are, knowing that Shanks won't tell them, but that doesn't mean that they haven't been curious ever since the first mention.

Shanks bellows and pats Benn on his shoulder, saying, "What do you mean, 'even more'? I can't show up empty handed now, can I? Besides, it has gotten to the point where they expect me to bring them stuff. I can't escape it anymore."

He fakes a pout, causing Benn to roll his eyes and take another drag of the cigarette. He blows out smoke and says in a rough voice, "But you don't care, do you?"

"Not a care in the world. So, old man. What do you have to offer me? I'm running low on my alcohol stock so a whole crate of sake would make my day." Shanks turns his attention back to Whitebeard, who has been watching the interaction between Benn and Shanks in light amusement. He crosses his arms and nods into Curiel's direction, who is standing next to his barrels together with Haruta. Haruta is holding a list, seemingly checking it off while Curiel opens every barrel to double check the content.

"We just got a whole cargo of alcohol, you're lucky today."

"Aren't I always? There is a reason why I don't go to your headquarters. Everything is within reach when you're at the dock." Shanks says in a proud voice and wastes no time in making his way over to Curiel, his way of walking reminding Marco of a drunken Thatch.

Benn sighs and takes his cigarette out to apologize, "I suppose I don't have to say it considering how I have to every time. However, it'd be rude not to. So once again, my apologies for him. But it's no secret that he loves his alcohol."

Whitebeard snorts and Benn calmly walks after Shanks, not once letting his eyes wander off to the sides.

Marco watches the pair with a funny face, till this day not sure what to make out of them. He shortly raises both his eyebrows before he turns back to Thatch and Whitebeard. Thatch is leaning over his crate and looks around Marco before he hisses, "That Shanks, eh. Where you reckon he came from today? The longer I look at that man, the more I'm starting to think he is some gang leader."

Whitebeard laughs but Marco rolls his eyes, snapping, "That makes no sense at all. Where did you get that idea from, yoi?"  
Thatch raises a finger, making Marco deadpan.

"Hear me out, old friend. He doesn't tell us what he does in life for the sole purpose of not ratting out his gang of outlaws. He doesn't tell us shit about his personal life out of fear the authority will overhear and go after his son of barely two and a pregnant wife. And to top it all of,"

"What?" Marco frowns, not at all impressed by the nonsense coming out of his friend's mouth. Thatch has a very big imagination and that is fun when they are telling each other stories after work or in Makino's bar, but when they discussing situations like Shanks, it gets on Marco's nerves real fast.

Thatch is now overly excited and finishes, his voice so loud that almost everyone turns around to stare at him in confusion, "He has no money whatsoever to take care of both his gang and family at once so he has no other choice than to bargain with us! It makes so much sense!"

"It makes zero sense, yoi. Instead of writing a novel about Shanks' potential gang life, why not help out Namur with the fish over there. You're our cook, you are an expert when it comes to food." Marco says, with a lack of excitement in his voice. Thatch has the audacity to pout but his sour mood is soon gone as he makes his way over to Namur, who is looking at the just bought fishes with disgust, not liking the smell coming from it.

Whitebeard shakes his head and seeing that Marco has everything under control, he pats the man on his shoulder and continues his round around the dock, checking in with all of his workers.

Marco watches Thatch scold Namur for looking at food the way he does for a second before he turns around to go back to what he was doing before making sure that Thatch didn't end up with a bloody nose.

* * *

Luffy pouts as he throws a pine cone into the stream of the river, flowing through the middle of the forest. His strawhat is resting on his back and he has taken off his slipper to splash with his paws in the water. He is sitting on top of a rock that sticks out from under the leaves, hanging just above the stream.

Since he can't swim, Luffy is not allowed into the depths of the stream. He has to stay at the shore, where only his feet are under the water. During bathing hours, he is allowed to go deeper but the water is not allowed above his waist. Not even when Ace or Sabo or even his parents are around.

His mother rather wants him to stay away from the water but Luffy is stubborn and doesn't listen. He likes the feel of water on his body, likes the coldness of it. When the water is warmed up by the summer son, it's even better.

Luffy watches how the fast stream takes the pine cone with it, how it very soon disappears in the foam of the water. The stream is dangerous when it's like this and Luffy knows from experience.

Not wanting to recall the time he fell into the water because he saw a fish that looked delicious, Luffy sighs and turns around to find his brothers. Ace and Sabo are behind him, fighting each other with branches they found on the floor. After last night, they let Luffy join them again, not wanting to risk losing him again.

But Luffy isn't happy at all. The three brothers have been training with each other since the day Luffy could wield a stick, no more than a hundred fights a day. But whenever it isn't Luffy's turn, he isn't even allowed nearby their fight. Sabo once accidentally hit him in the eye with a stick, causing Luffy to walk around with a bruised and swollen eye for a whole two weeks.

That's when they decided that it might be wise for Luffy to stay out of reach while they are doing their training.

However, they have been 'training' for at least twenty minutes already, leaving Luffy with nothing to do. He has already asked them three hundred times when they are done, but all he gets is 'soon, little one. Almost done'.

They've been 'almost done' for ten minutes now.

Luffy throws another cobblestone into the river and is about to start yelling at his brothers again, getting beyond fed up with having to wait his turn, when his ears suddenly go up at the sound of a faraway voice. His attention completely gone from throwing random things he finds into the river, Luffy's eyes move up to the other side of the stream. He moves into a better position and his hands and feet change into their respective paws as he pushes himself up to crane his neck.

Luffy huffs when he doesn't see a thing but his ears go back to alert when the voice is within ear shot again. He narrows his yellow eyes across the river, trying to see through the many trees to get a glimpse on whatever is talking.

He doesn't recognize the voice and it's not a growl, so he can at least confirm it's not someone from the pack.

Now even more curious, Luffy widens his eyes and lets out a little 'ooh' as he ducks and pushes himself up just to get a better view. None of it helps and he sinks back in annoyance when a bright idea pops up in his head.

He knows for sure they are in the forest and since both his brothers are here, Luffy has enough reasons to just go for it and check it out himself. There is no one to stop him now and his brothers are right here. It's not like he'll leave the forest again, let alone go into the human village.

It _was_ nice, even though the humans were very strange. The meat was good and when the meat is good, Luffy is happy.

Satisfied with his great idea, Luffy turns around and exclaims, "Yosh, I'll be right back!" He turns into his wolf form and not waiting for either Sabo or Ace to answer him, he runs along the shore of the river until he finds the rocks that serve as a bridge to the other side. All the wolves use it while hunting, though it's a general rule for pups never to cross the river.

Luffy isn't a pup anymore (even though his father will never stop calling him that) and with ease he jumps on the rocks, laughing as he goes. He can hear his brothers yell something behind him but too busy with trying to stay out of the water and on the stones, Luffy doesn't focus on whatever they are saying and soon finds himself on the other side of the river.

He nearly falls in due to his balance problem but he keeps himself steady.

"Yosh! Let's go!"

He runs through the forests with his tongue sticking out, his hat happily bouncing up and down his furry back. His slippers still laying forgotten on the rock, Luffy's paws splatter all the water up that is still between the leaves from the rain last night.

The voice get louder and louder. Luffy runs slower each time he can make out another word and upon the sudden realization that the only voices outside the pack are from the humans, Luffy stops running and at once he changes back to his human form. His eyes widen and he swallows a lump in his throat.

Well, that's great.

He promised his brothers he'd stay away from the human village but this time he won't get lured into the actual village! Luffy is relieved when he can't even see the houses yet but he mumbles a 'eeh?' when the voice, that disappeared for a moment, returns and Luffy can make out movement on his left side.

With a very elegant spin, Luffy turns to his left, holding his hands out in front of him in case he might get jumped. When no one comes at him, Luffy cocks his head to the side and crosses his arms. He wiggles his naked toes through the leaves, actually liking the feeling. He presses his lips tightly together, assessing the situation.

He realizes his ears are out and grabs his strawhat to immediately cover them, pushing against the straw to hide them as good as possible.

"– I'd sworn this was the way back to the village. Where the fuck am I?"

Luffy frowns and dares to walk closer, trying to be as quiet as possible. However, Luffy being Luffy, his foot gets stuck behind a branch and before his brain can even register it, he tumbles over the ground and through the bushes that kept him and the owner of the voice separated.

The moment he stops moving, the first thing he does is grab his hat to insure it's still on his head and he doesn't notice the shocked look on the other presence nearby him.

"W-what the hell, oi!"

Luffy finally looks up and locks eyes with a green-haired man, holding a strange case in his hand. The man, or rather teenager, is staring at Luffy with narrowed eyes though the shock is evident.

Luffy imitates the eyes, trying to remember where he has seen him rather than jumping up and running away because this man is a damn human.

A light appears above his head and from his spot on the ground, Luffy smiles widely as he exclaims, "Aah! That's right! You're that guy that pushed the funny-looking long nose last night!"

The man gapes at him, not sure what to say to that. He looks around him, as if asking for non-existent help but in the end, the only sound that comes out of his mouth is a strangled 'eh?!' He takes a tighter hold onto the strangely long case he is holding and Luffy pushes himself back on his feet, dusting off some of the leaves that managed to stay stuck on his clothes and on his strawhat.

Luffy looks up at the guy and cocks his head to the side, crossing his arms as he asks, "What are you doing here?"

The man looks stuck between shouting at him and calmly trying to assess the situation.

He opts for a way in between and leans forward, asking with a rough voice that makes Luffy put a step backwards out of caution, "I can ask you the same thing. I forgot your name but I'm sure I saw you last night in Brook's bar. You're that weird stranger that hogged all the meat."

Luffy huffs and snaps, with a childish voice, "I was hungry. And my name is _Luffy_."

"Whatever. Say, you don't happen the way back to the village, do you?"

Luffy frowns in confusion at him. The man sighs, in annoyance and rubs his forehead as he says, "What am I saying, you don't even live there. Forget I asked, I'll find it back myself."

"Ne, are you lost?" Luffy asks innocently, not expecting the stranger to turn red as he exclaims, holding the case up in the air, "I am not lost, are you stupid?!"

Luffy chuckles and builds up enough courage to walk closer to the green head human, eying the case in suspicion. He slightly narrows his eyes at it before he looks up at the stranger, who is staring at him with the same narrowed eyes like before.

"I know the way back."


	5. Chapter 5

**Enjoy:) x**

* * *

Zoro sighs, looking up at the tall trees and hearing birds from every direction. A big one, that strongly resembles a hawk, flies over him and Zoro follows it with his eyes until the hawk is out of sight.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

All he was meant to do, was bring a client's sword back. It was an old, rusty yet very beautiful katana that needed forging. The old man had bought it from his son, who didn't see any value in it any longer. It took Zoro's father some time to fix it, but it all worked out in the end and Zoro was supposed to bring it back to the old man, since he can't walk that great anymore.

What he didn't encounter for, was walking in on Bellamy holding a pouch above Nami's head, taunting her with words. He was shaking the pouch and Usopp, who so happened to be right next to Nami, was bravely telling him to give her back her well-earned money.

He stood behind Nami, but Zoro appreciated the effort before he took it upon himself to walk up to the trio.

" _Oi! The hell you think you're doing?"_

 _Nami and Usopp look up at the sound of deep voice and at the sight of Zoro, they are about to burst out in tears of happiness._

" _ZORO!" Usopp wails and Nami cries out, "Great! Let him give me back that pouch! It's my money, not his."_

 _Bellamy snorts and shakes the pouch, whistling at the sound of coins clashing against each other. He smirks and says, "No longer, missy. I rightfully took it when you left it on that table over there. Finders, keepers. I don't make the rules."_

 _Zoro eyes him, finally there, and reaches up for the pouch as he darkly says, "No, but you do break them. Give it back and bully someone else. Leave my friends alone." Bellamy is very quick with moving the pouch down and he jumps away, holding the bag possessively against his chest. Nami furiously points at him and yells, "Give it back, bastard!"_

" _Come get it." Bellamy taunts and without another word, the blond-haired man runs away, into the direction of the forest. Nami shouts a bunch of very colorful curses and yanks Zoro's collar, "What the hell are you still standing here for?! After him!"_

 _Zoro is about to complain but Nami runs after Bellamy herself as well. Usopp groans frustrated and Zoro, knowing that there is no way that Nami can take on Bellamy even if she caught up with him, is left with no other choice than to run after her._

 _Usopp is left behind, looking beyond conflicted. The idea to stay put is very promising but the mere thought of Bellamy's friends hanging around somewhere near him is haunting him down and as he cries out all of his frustration, he dashes after his two wild friends._

Zoro had run into the forest without any idea on where Nami or Bellamy could have gone and ran into a random direction, still with the empty case that belonged to the katana. Now he is standing on an open spot in the forest, the sun shining bright on the open space. The guy in front of him, who just randomly fell through the bushes, doesn't at all look concerned about what's going on.

"You know the way back? Don't joke around. You're not from here, how do you know the way back?" Zoro asks sceptically. There are still so many questions to ask. Why the hell is that guy still here? Where did he even go last night? And if he is not from the village, which Zoro is sure he is not because until last night he hadn't seen him before, then where _does_ he live?

The boy dares the chuckle and puts his hand on the familiar strawhat, "Of course I know the way back, I live h – I mean, it can't be that difficult, can it?"

Zoro narrows his eyes at him, sure that he was about to say that he lives here. That can't possibly be true. Or did he and his friends miss their new neighbors? But that would make zero sense. Everybody knows everybody in Foosha Village and it's therefore very impossible for a stranger to suddenly show up and claim he lives here.

And all by himself? Zoro doesn't know what he has to make out of this mysterious stranger. Now actually looking at him, Zoro notices he isn't even wearing shoes. His feet are dirty but the kid – _Luffy_ as he was just reminded of – doesn't seem to mind at all. As a matter of fact, his toes are digging into the dirt but Zoro chooses to just not question anything Luffy is doing. For his own sake.

"Right, okay. If that's so, point out the direction and I'll be on my way." Zoro says. Letting one hand rest on his hip while the other is keeping the case on the other side. The boy chuckles again and suggests, locking his arms behind his back, "Are you sure you won't end up getting lost again? Don't you want me to walk you to the village?"

Zoro turns red and exclaims, "How old do you think I am?! I don't need you to find my way back home! For fuck's sake."

Luffy bursts out in a loud laughter and wipes away actual tears, looking up at Zoro's beet red face with an annoying grin. Zoro grits his teeth, not wanting to admit that there might be a possibility of him getting lost all over again when he is just pointed a direction.

"Argh, fine, whatever. Just, show me until we can see the chimneys sticking out. It's embarrassing enough to even have you next to me." Zoro mumbles, scratching behind his head as he looks away from Luffy. The black-haired male smiles widely and points towards the north, chirping, "Then let's go, green head!"

Zoro cringes at the awful nickname and says, walking after Luffy since the boy is somehow quick on his feet, "That is _not_ my name. If you must know, it's Zoro. Leave it at that."

"Zoro? Zoroo, _Zooroo._ " Luffy tests the name, repeating it in different ways. He makes weird faces as he goes and laughs while heavily mispronouncing Zoro's name on purpose. Zoro clenches his teeth and pops a vein on his forehead. This Luffy may be innocent in a weird way, but he is almost as bad as the blonde cook, who can really push all the buttons that shouldn't be pushed.

"OI! Knock it off! It's fucking 'Zoro'!" Zoro exclaims, throwing his hands up in frustration. Luffy turns to look at him, his eyes widened for just a mere second before his cheerful expression comes back. He raises one hand and says, "Ah, sorry, Zoro. You just have a funny name."

One of Zoro's eyes starts to twitch.

" _I'm_ the one with a funny name? What's 'Luffy' supposed to be then, huh? I've never heard such a name in my entire life." Zoro snaps and Luffy rests his chin in the palm of his hand, seriously thinking about it before he answers, "Luffy means... Luffy. Yeah, just that. I don't think it has any special meaning to it, no. Should I ask my mother about it?"

'Mother? So the kid isn't alone,' Zoro thinks, a little too shocked. He frowns at Luffy and says, directing his gaze in front of him, "I didn't mean for you to seriously think about it. Don't bother your parents about it, just don't."

Luffy pouts, "Eeeh, but now I'm curious. Yosh, I'll ask mom about it."

Zoro groans a little annoyed and turns to look at Luffy again. Luffy is dressed the same as last night, only this time he doesn't have a cloak on. Like he noticed earlier, the slippers are gone too and all that's left is a simple red vest and blue trousers that stop just below the knees. His messy hair sticks out from under the strawhat but that's it with the kid.

The question about where Luffy lives rests on his tongue but he hesitates for a second. Does he really want to know? And what if Luffy's parents are actually not here and he is, like Usopp already suggested, all by himself here? He does seem like the type to wander off too far until he's lost his family.

"So, eh, Luffy," Zoro starts, catching all of Luffy's attention. The boy looks carefree but Zoro isn't stupid. There is an edge of tension and Zoro doesn't know why. The guy seems comfortable enough in the forest to know which way to go, but there is something that makes the guy be on constant alert.

"Are you new here or something? We've never seen you around yet you seem to know perfectly fine where to go here." Zoro says, just throwing it out there. Luffy doesn't answer for a moment, looking into the distance with a glance that almost tells Zoro that he won't answer the question.

Luffy seems to think about it for a long time but just when he opens his mouth, Zoro not wanting to admit that he has been waiting for it, an obnoxious voice stops Luffy from saying whatever he wanted to say and Zoro groans out loud, immediately recognizing the voice. Luffy's head turns to the side with lighting speed, like a deer caught in sight of a hunter.

Nami aggressively pushes aside some of the branches of a bush, following by a shaking Usopp. Their male friend looks like he's seen a ghost and is very quick with jumping after Nami. He cries out at the sight of Zoro and jumps on top of him, Zoro not even given the chance to ward him off.

"ZOROO! Where the fuck did you go, you stupid green head?! We've looked all around the forest!" Usopp cries and clings himself on Zoro, who doesn't hesitate to push him off. Usopp falls on the ground and looks up when a shadow falls over him.

Nami has got her arms crossed and snarls towards Zoro, who looks as indifferent as a man can look, "You damn idiot. Getting lost is one thing, but in the forest?! Are you out of your mind or something? You should have stayed close to me! You can't even find your way through the village, how were you going to do that in the forest?! This place is a maze, not even I or Robin can just ease our way back home." Nami scolds him, her eyes suddenly falling on the extra figure. They widen when she realizes it's Luffy, who has been watching Nami with interest.

Nami holds back a gasp and clears her throat, making Usopp aware of Luffy as well. He doesn't bother to keep the gasp inside and jumps up, wildly pointing at the black-haired male.

"Y-you! W-what are you doing here?!"

Zoro sighs and says, "He showed me where to go."

"B-but.." Usopp stumbles over his words, wildly going from Nami to Zoro to Luffy and back. His finger starts to shake and he exclaims, "You! How are you still alive?! That creepy stranger from the other night! H-he... you should have been killed!"

Luffy cocks his head to the side in confusion and Zoro suddenly remembers it as well. He wasn't fully paying attention last night but he does remember some weirdo barging in like he owned the place, only to drag Luffy from his stool without any explanation.

Luffy cocks his head to the side and says, "Creepy stranger? What are you talking about, long-nose?" Zoro keeps his chuckle inside when he sees Usopp's offended glance and the curly head says, his voice strained, "Oi, the name is Usopp. Don't insult my nose." Nami snorts and pats him on the back, hard.

"Leave it. Thank you for taking our airhead of a friend back. I'm sure he would have ended up dead in here if it wasn't for you." Nami thanks Luffy, who grins as a response. Zoro raises the case at her and snaps, "Watch your words, witch."

"Who the fuck are you calling a witch, _airhead_?"

They both turn around when Luffy's laughter cut through the air and the boy speaks up, a big gummy smile resting on his face, "You are funny! Who knew humans could be this funny?"

Usopp looks at him in confusion, the expression copied by Nami. She moves away from Zoro, who isn't sure what the hell to do again. He eyes Luffy, who seems to realize what he just said. His eyes widen and he is quick to say, "Because that's what we are, right? Humans! Right?"

"What else would we be?! Foreign aliens or something?" Usopp deadpans, making Luffy chuckle.

Usopp sighs and glances at Zoro, aimlessly throwing his arm up as he says, "Anyway, Zoro. It's good you're back. I mean, I can easily protect Nami from the dark creatures of the forest on my own, but you know. Back-up is always appreciated."

Zoro snorts, "Yeah, right. You're scared of everything, I wouldn't even want to be found dead with you in here."

Nami groans and hits them both on the head. Usopp glares at her before he turns his eyes to Luffy, who has been staring at his feet with an uncomfortable glance resting over his face.

"Luffy, wasn't it?"

The boy looks up, clear surprise and happiness that he remembers his name gleaming in his big eyes.

Usopp clears his throat and gestures into the direction of the village, saying in an awkward manner, "Say, last night wasn't a great introduction. You just showed up out of the blue and shit and then proceeded to be dragged off by some creepy looking dude. Now you just basically saved one of our best friends."

"I did, didn't I?" Luffy beams, ignoring the harsh glare he is getting from Zoro.

Usopp does so too and continues, "What I'm trying to say is, as a thank you, maybe you want to have a drink with us back at the village?"

Nami's eyes widen and she grabs Usopp's arm, shaking it like a mad man as she hisses, "Oi! Are you insane?! We barely know this guy and now you want to have a drink with him? Remember last night?"

Usopp groans on the inside and turns to look at his female friend, whispering back, "Like I just said, bad start. Besides, if my theory about him being homeless is correct, than I'm going to feel like an ass, leaving him here. Also, why the hell is here all by himself? We have all the reasons to take him with us."

"We have all the reasons _not_ to do that! Usopp, I swear-"

"He's gone."

Usopp and Nami pull apart and stare at Zoro in shock, who is pointing into a direction with a lazy finger. Usopp jumps away from Nami and rushes into the direction that Zoro is pointing, though not too far to lose sight of his friends.

"What the fuck?! Where the hell did he go?! He didn't even let me finish talking!" Usopp exclaims, very frustrated. He hears Nami let out a loud sigh of relief and she says, "Leave it, Usopp. He probably realized too how stupid your idea was."

Usopp turns around and wildly points behind him, shouting, "Guys! Are you both stupid or something?! He _disappeared_! Fucking disappeared into the forest! Where the hell did he go?"

Nami shudders, not wanting to know, and shrugs. She turns around to go back and throws a look over her shoulder, saying, "I wouldn't think about it if I were you. I just want to leave this place already, it's giving me the shivers."

Zoro rolls his eyes and asks, walking after Nami, "Did you guys get Bellamy, by the way? Seeing as to how you are still money-less, I suppose you didn't."

Usopp grins awkwardly as steam seems to come out of Nami's ears. She turns around and shouts furiously, "Does it fucking look like we got my money back?! Argh, fucking bastard! I'll get him for this, I swear!"

She turns back and walks away, her shoes harshly digging into the sand. Zoro follows her, a lot calmer. Usopp throws a look over his shoulder, secretly hoping to maybe see Luffy somewhere. He is left disappointed when he doesn't see him and is only left with a hundred more questions.

* * *

"Luffy?! Kiddo, what are you doing in these parts of the forest?"

Luffy stops running, grinning to himself how he managed to escape an invitation to the village, and looks behind him. A very wide smile appears on his lips at the sight of Shanks and Benn. Without hesitation, he runs up to the two and is greeted by a cheerful 'hello' from Shanks. Benn gives him a little smile and asks, "Are you out here by yourself? I sure hope you aren't breaking any more rules."

Luffy snickers and shakes his head. He nudges with his chin towards the opposite direction and says, raising one finger, "Ah, today I'm not. My brothers are with me. But they left me on my own devices to have a fight together."

Shanks bellows a loud laugh and puts his hand on Luffy's shoulder, saying, "Then let's go find those two brats. Oh, little anchor. I just came back from the village. Look at what I found for you."

Luffy's eyes start to shine at the mention of Shanks having brought him another gift and his lips form a silent 'ooh' when he sees a weird looking bracelet being shoved his way.

Luffy takes it and holds it up, closing eye as he sticks out his tongue. Shanks laughs wholeheartedly again and Benn shakes his head, taking out the cigarette, leaning over the wooden crate he is holding in his strong arms, to say, "I told you he wouldn't understand what it was."

"You're right, I don't. Shanks, what's this?" Luffy bluntly agrees. Shanks chuckles and says, pushing Luffy forward to go back to the cave, "It's a bracelet that you wrap around your upper arm. Here, should I do it for you?"

"Nah, I can do it." Luffy replies and does what Shanks just told him. He wraps it around the upper part of his arm and looks damn proud when it stays there as well. Shanks pats him on the strawhat and smugly looks up at Benn, who just rolls his eyes as a smile stays on his lips.

The three wolves keep walking towards the cave, Benn and Shanks chatting among each other as Luffy is messing around with the bracelet around his arm. He can't get the humans out of his head, whom he know proudly owns the names off. At least, the two guys.

Zoro. Usopp.

Witch.

Luffy softly snickers and looks up at the sky. They are interesting and not at all dangerous, like Ace and his father always say. He is sure they are right though, otherwise Ace would have never been kidnapped by that one man, nine years ago. Luffy's mind goes blank for a moment, not wanting to think about that time. It was awful. His mother was hysterical, his father out to murder a whole village and whole pack was out for the same blood. Sabo knew exactly what was going on but Luffy didn't. He just remembers panicking because Ace was missing. Sabo insisted on going with the pack but the boy was also just ten at the time and their father made him stay with his mother and little brother, both far from calm.

Those are not the kind of humans that Luffy wants to meet. Those are the kind of humans that Luffy wouldn't mind dying. They are the people that Ace and Sabo are talking about. They are not like Zoro or the witch. Luffy is sure of it. They were funny and didn't look like they wanted to kill werewolves.

"Say, Shanks." Luffy speaks up, breaking Shanks and Benn apart. The red head smiles at him and asks, "What's the matter, anchor? Not happy with your present?"

Luffy quickly shakes his head and says, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away, little one."

"What's the village like?"

Having met a few interesting humans and having been in one of the many colorful buildings in that place, Luffy can't say he has zero idea on what the village is like. He knows a little about it but Shanks.. Shanks has so much more knowledge, so much more experience. He goes there at least once a month, sometimes every two months. He knows his way around the village, he knows so many humans.

It's not like the red head has actual friends in the village but Luffy knows that Shanks has met a lot of humans. He can't deny that he isn't jealous, because he is. One half of him fears the human race, but as of last night, the other half (the half that is interested and fascinated by them) has been creeping. He is smart enough not to ask his family because god knows how long of a rant he'll get thrown at him at the mere mention of humans.

No, Shanks is the one he needs if he wants answers.

Shanks stops walking, turning his head to look at Luffy with a frown. Benn blows out some smoke and also looks at Luffy, though a little less surprised. Roger is always complaining about how his youngest son is so fascinated by the humans and how he has no idea how to stop this madness. He is scared he'll lose him the way he once lost Ace but instead of being able to save him, Roger greatly fears that he might not be able to do that now. Different times, different methods.

It's just Roger's great luck that the same youngest son is as dense and stubborn as a wolf can be.

This just proves it again.

"Lu, are you still obsessed with that village? I already told you, didn't I? It's not as adventurous as you'd like it to be." Shanks chuckles and takes off Luffy's hat to ruffle his already messy hair. He pulls his hand away when he sees the rather serious look on the younger one's face and sighs. He runs a hand over the scar on his eye and says, "Luffy, listen. The village, I only go there to collect our necessities and presents for cute little ones like you. The place I go to is nothing special. It's just the dock. I haven't really gone into the village before and I don't plan to either. I mean, I kind of want to, but it's dangerous. The dock is close to the forest, an easy place to run."

Luffy bites on the inside of his cheek and stares at Shanks as the older man finishes, putting his only hand on Luffy's shoulder, "The village, however, is not. Too far and you're out of the game. They'll be everywhere, crawling around like ants."

Luffy senses that Shanks is about to lighten up the somehow darkened mood and he can't help but smile a little confused when Shanks suddenly smirks, moving in closer as he hisses, "Once villagers find out what you are, they'll go after you with torches and pitchforks. Chase you around the village until you can't run no longer. They come closer to you, drive you into a corner. There is no escape, not even a little opening. Nothing. They'll raise their pitchforks and move the fire closer to your little yellow eyes. And then, suddenly, without any warning they'll – "

Luffy's eyes have widened up to the point where they can't get any wider when Benn calmly puts his hand on Shanks' shoulder, pushing him down as he says, "Alright, that's enough. Stop scaring the kid. Those stories of yours are tales from our grandparents. You need to stop using them to freak out all the children."

"Freak out? Oi, don't lower me down to Crocodile's level."

"Did I say I did?"

Luffy pouts a little and tilts his head to the side, wanting Shanks to continue the story. Luffy isn't scared, of course he isn't. Whenever Shanks tells him and the others one of his infamous stories again, it's always Chopper who gets completely amazed but traumatized at the same time. Luffy just finds them amusing yet beyond fascinating. Shanks may be talking nonsense to the rest of the world, Luffy can only dream of his adventures. How he'd love to explore the human world, in disguise of course. He would make sure to only meet the good humans and leave the bad ones out in the cold. He'll be fine.

After all, he is trained and strong. Even if he were to meet a rotten human, he'd be able to defend himself. He won't make his family worry a single second.

"For fuck's sake! Luffy!"

Luffy's ears perk up at the sound of Ace's voice and when he spots his older brother, followed by familiar blonde hair, he exclaims, "Ace!" He leaves Shanks and Benn behind and runs up to his brothers, waving his arms wildly. He already forgot about how they fought while leaving him out and is just happy to see his two brothers.

Once he reaches them, Ace wastes no time in hitting him on the head as he exclaims, "You! What was that?! _I'll be right back_?! Where the hell did you go? You didn't go where I forbid you from going, did you?" Ace adds with a hiss, pushing his fist into Luffy's scull. Luffy whines and pushes the hand away. He looks up at Ace and thumbs up at him.

"I was tempted by one of the humans, but I resisted! I did great!" Luffy proudly announces, making both Sabo and Ace's eyes grow wide. Sabo pushes Ace aside to put both his hands on Luffy's shoulders, shaking him around as he fusses, "You met a human?! Luffy, what the hell! Where did you go to?! Did you hear humans or something?! They were no hunters, were they? Where are they now? Are they nearby? Luffy, I-"

Ace rolls his eyes and hits his twin brother behind the head, snapping, "Shut up, you're giving me a headache." He turns to look at Luffy and pinches the bridge of his nose, annoyed by the way Luffy is just standing there, uncaring about a single thing in the world.

"Luffy, tell me right now. Were they hunters?"

Luffy shakes his head and says, somehow proud, "Not at all! They were the guys from last night! This Zoro guy got lost and even though he didn't want my help, I showed him the way and we met up with his friends halfway. Long-nose, or no, _Usopp_ , wanted to invite me for a drink but I was strong and ran away."

Ace and Sabo gape at him, not even sure what to say to that anymore. Sabo decides to let out a relieved chuckle and pats Luffy on the head, saying, "It's a damn miracle how you managed to get yourself into weird situations like that but I'm happy you're not too stupid. Well done, Lu. How about we train a little more, huh? Or does the great hero want to go home?"

At the mention of training, Luffy's eyes start to sparkle and he immediately shouts, "Yosh! Ace, Sabo, I'm going to kick your asses!"

Ace rolls his eyes and looks up when Shanks and Benn join the three boys. Shanks is laughing and bellows, "There you are, brats! We were just looking for you." He wipes his finger under his nose and waves his hand into the direction of the cave, saying, "Well then, if our three princes won't mind, me and old Benn over here are going to surprise your old man with our new gain."

He gestures to the crate Benn has been carrying this whole time and grins. Sabo thumbs up to him and says, "Tell him we'll be here for the rest of the day. Don't need him to be worried for nothing again."

"Will do so. See you guys later." Shanks says as his good-bye and after ruffling all three boys' heads, he starts his way to the cave again as he whistles an unfamiliar song. Benn manages to wave at them and goes after Shanks, not even bothering to run to catch up with him.

Luffy watches them go for a moment before he turns to his brothers, an evil smirk appearing on his lips. Ace notices but before he gets to make a snarky comment about it, Luffy sticks out his tongue at them and runs away.

"You little brat! Wait the fuck up!" Ace shouts, going after him. Sabo laughs out loud and happily dashes after his two brothers, letting his feet change into paws just to go a little faster.

* * *

"Boss, you're sure they are still around?"

A lax figure leans back as he throws his head into his neck to take a big sip from the alcohol. It's a bitter taste but he is used to it, considering how this has already been his fourth can. Surprisingly, he doesn't feel dizzy or even a little bit drunk.

He eyes the company around him but specifically the big man at the end of the room. His back is facing them but no one has to look to know there is a grin resting on the man's face.

"Don't worry, they are. And it's about time we finally get rid of those demons."


	6. Chapter 6

**Enjoy! x**

* * *

"You what?!"

Luffy covers Chopper's mouth when the younger one shrieks loudly. Kureha and some other older werewolves turn their heads to the younger ones, mentally questioning them what is going on. Luffy makes a peace sign with his fingers and grins, "Nothing to see here."

He notices Ace and Sabo looking at him in suspicion and he fully knows they won't be fooled by him. But he still widely smiles at them nonetheless before he quickly turns back to the pale Chopper, who is staring at Luffy in a daze, as if wanting him to have lied to him.

Law, who is seated right beside them, is gaping at Luffy, not sure if he heard that right. He is holding a piece of meat in both his hands and narrows his eyes at the straw hat, asking in a hushed voice, "The fuck, Luffy-ya?! Don't joke around like that!"

"No, don't! You're scaring me!" Chopper hisses, trying not to yell again.

All the werewolves are gathered on the main square, eating all the food that the hunters brought back with them. There is a big pile in the middle and though it doesn't seem like a bright idea considering how Luffy and all the other children dive at it like wild animals, it's better than trying to divide it. That causes more fights than letting each other just take what they want.

Rouge has grabbed a whole lot, keeping it with her for her whole family. It's not really necessary since Luffy and his brothers are just as wild as the other children but it has grown into a habit. She also doesn't want her boys to keep fighting for food so she keeps this stack just in case they start to whine again.

Luffy aggressively rips apart his meat and says, spitting out little pieces of flesh, "I mean it, guys! I've met humans! I'll prove it to you. Here, I know their names."

He looks around him, making sure no one hears him and gestures for his two friends to come closer. Law clenches his teeth but listens while Chopper nearly jumps on Luffy's lap from the growing tension.

"There was a human with green hair, whose name is Zoro. Not Zooroo, but Zoro. He got mad at me for mispronouncing it. But whatever. There is also one with a ridiculously long nose, which is kinda cool actually. His name is Usopp. There is also a girl, who they called witch." Luffy tells them in a hushed yet excited voice. Law is gaping at him, not wanting to believe him but knowing damn well that Luffy can't lie to save his life. He reaches out his hand and grabs the cord from Luffy's hat to pull him closer.

"You dimwit. What were you doing with fucking humans?! Don't you realize what kind of dangerous stunt you just pulled?" Law hisses and Chopper is quick with adding, "Law is right, Luffy! You could have been killed if they saw your ears! I don't want you to be killed!"

Luffy starts to laugh. Law facepalms at him, not at all amused. Chopper is looking very anxious, holding his hands together as he bites his lip. Luffy calms down a little and says, "Don't worry~! I won't get killed by those guys. They don't even know I'm a wolf and I am very sure that even if they did, they won't do it. They seem too nice for that."

"You seem to forget that they are still human. There isn't a single living human out there that isn't afraid of what we are. They seem nice because they don't know what you really are. Trust me, they are scared of everything they don't understand. If they won't do it, someone else will." Law says, his voice monotone but the message is quite clear.

Luffy's body slumps down like a sack of potatoes and he says, reaching for another piece of meat, "What are you being so depressed about? I know what humans are capable of, I know. But they are not like those in the tales, Torao! You've got to believe me!"

"You barely know them, straw hat-ya! _Barely_! Might as well say you don't know them at all. You've met them twice and both those times, you haven't had a full on conversation or something that indicates that they like you. Listen, oi. Until you can prove me that, even after they've seen your ears, hell your full transformation, they still like you for you, I stand by my point." Law snaps back, grabbing his second piece of meat as well.

Luffy doesn't seem happy at all with that answer but his glance darkens and he mutters, "Stop acting like I don't know what humans do. The situation with Ace is one I don't want to repeat. Never again. Those are the type of humans that I hate and shall hate for the rest of my life. But... They just didn't seem like it."

Law sighs and puts his hand on Luffy's shoulder.

"Nothing is ever what it seems, Luffy-ya. They'll show their true colors once they see what you can change into. You need to trust me on that one. Out of all the wolves here, including Ace, I should know what the consequences are."

Chopper's eyes move down and he subconsciously grabs Law's hand. Law looks at him with a frown but that frown disappears at the sight of Chopper's defeated look.

Luffy also looks up at Law, the serious expression not leaving his face. Just like Ace's history, Law's one isn't something that Luffy can easily forget. No one knew what had really happened until a couple of years ago.

Luffy doesn't remember Law joining the pack, Chopper was barely two so it's safe to say that he too has no idea what it was like when Roger suddenly showed up with a bloody pup in his arms. If Luffy has to believe his brothers, which he does, Law looked more dead than alive. He lay limp in their father's arms, covered in wounds and blood.

Not even Roger knew what had happened. He just found Law crawling his way through the forest, leaving behind a trail of blood. By the time he had reached him, he wasn't moving anymore.

Law never spoke a word about it until after Ace was captured. Because when that happened, he knew he had to tell the rest of pack what he went through before that.

Ace was the first one to hear about it.

After he got back, Ace was quiet and jumpy. It was a difficult time for the pack but especially hard on his family because that is not how they knew him. One night, when Ace had once again escaped to sit on top of the cave, Law had gone after him. They had sat in silence for a while before Law started to tell his story.

He too was captured by humans. Not just him, but his whole previous pack. But he was not so lucky. The hunters that caught them wasted no time in slaughtering the pack, killing them one by one. He had to watch his family die and if it wasn't for his mother pushing him away, him already beaten down and injured, he would have died with them.

Ace started coming out of his shell after that and has grown closer to Law. After Luffy found out, he had cried for at least an hour before Law finally managed to calm him down.

Luffy remembers declaring that he will slaughter the humans that did it to him and with that in the back of his mind, he stares at his friend and says, "I promise you, if they turn out anything like those fuckers or are even related to them, I won't hesitate to do something about it."

He turns his gaze over to Ace, who is laughing at something Kid said.

Luffy smiles a little and continues, "Same goes for my older brother. I don't know who caused him so much pain, but if I find out it's one of them, they are very fucked. Don't you worry, Torao! I shall defend your honor!"

"Let's not go too far." Law mutters and gets startled when Chopper cries out, "You're so brave, Luffy! I wish I was that strong."

"Shishi! Chopper, you're also damn strong! I'm sure you can even cure all of their strange deceases if you have to. And once you're as old as me, I bet you'll be even stronger!" Luffy laughs out loud and Chopper blushes hard, making Law roll his eyes.

"Shut up, bastard! That doesn't flatter me at all!"

"I beg the difference, little reindeer-ya."

"SHUT UP! I'M A WOLF JUST LIKE YOU, DARN IT!"

From a distance, Ace, Sabo and their friends turn to look at the commotion, where Luffy is once again the center of it all. Sabo chuckles at the sight but Ace facepalms before he turns back to grab a can filled with Shanks' recent gain in beer.

"I swear. What the hell is Law doing with your little brother? The brat is always making a fool out of himself." Kid sneers, ripping a chunk of meat apart. Ace hits him on the shoulder with his can and says, his tone low, "Oi, don't be calling my brother a fool. Only I get to do that. And leave him be. As long as he doesn't do it around me, I'm fine with it. He's having fun."

"Big brother of the year."

"Shut the hell up, blondie. You don't strike me as the type to defend a younger sibling at all. All you care about is yourself. What kind of wolf is as vain as you are?" Ace bites back, though with a dirty grin resting on his lips. Cavendish, who is seated right across the freckled wolf, looks beyond offended and snaps, "What's the harm in wanting to look good?! Though, I always look good so there's no problem there. You should consider taking more care of yourself, Ace. You always be looking like some type of hobo."

Bartolomeo, who has let himself fall down right next to the blonde, seems to pop a vein on his forehead and exclaims, "Don't go around insulting Ace like that, blonde asshole! And to add to your first stupid point, you don't look good. Never. Stupid feather hat."

Cavendish growls at his friend, grabbing him by his collar to shout in his face, "The feather hat is not stupid! You damn... broccoli-head!"

Sabo snorts and raises his own can as he chuckles, "If that ain't the best insult I've ever heard, then I don't know anymore." Ace starts to laugh and throws his arm around his twin brother. Cavendish gives Sabo the stink eye but ignores him in favor of shouting more random things at Bartolomeo.

Why they are best friends, is beyond everyone in their circle of close friends. The two have always been together and have a love-hate relationship with each other. They constantly bicker, turn everything into a competition and don't shy away from pointing out each other's flaws. However, it's not much of secret that they care for one another. If Cavendish is out of the cave a little too long, Bartolomeo will subtly ask around if someone knows where he is. If Bartolomeo got into another fight with one of the many wild animals that live in the forest, Cavendish is the first to fuss around him. Not without the necessary cussing but he never stops the fussing until Bartolomeo is back on his feet again.

It's a funny relationship to look at overall and Ace doesn't want to admit that those two always amuse him.

Kid rolls his eyes and takes a big sip from his beer. He wipes it away with his hand and turns to look at his own best friend, Killer. The man is a quiet wolf, which is just what Kid needs. He himself is hyper, loud. He needs someone who can keep him on all four paws and Killer is just the right person for that. He is calm and collected and usually the one who keeps Kidd out of his fights. However, Kid saw him drunk once and that was an experience he wish he was able to relive. It's too unfortunate that the pack doesn't have those special devices that the humans seem to use to capture moments like that.

"Killer, oi. Look at this,"

The blonde wolf turns away from his gazing at Shanks, who is already drunk and laughing wholeheartedly at Buggy, who is not enjoying it as much as Shanks.

"What's up?" Killer asks and Kid looks a little hesitant, now noticing that the twins are also looking at him in curiosity, before he reaches into the long coat he is always wearing and shows a metal toy. It looks like a little wolf, made out of old metal plates and junk that lies around in the woods.

"I, eh, I made this today. Cool, right? It's pretty damn amazing how much you can do from the shit that the humans just throw away into the Grey Terminal." Kid says, embarrassed about how excited he gets. Kid likes building things out of rubbish and turning it into beautiful looking toys or just random things he thinks of. He is good with his hands and smart when it comes to making things from scratch. And being the one wolf who has Shanks as his caretaker ( _'Dad! Call me dad!'_ ) he is lucky that the older red wolf often brings home materials that he can use for his creations.

Killer thumbs up at him, "But come on, you're good when it comes to this. It's not a surprise that it turned out looking like that."

Sabo whistles and adds to that, "Damn, you're good. I keep forgetting it every time." Ace chuckles and leans in closer to have a better look. Kid scoffs at him but he doesn't move his hand away and lets Ace inspect it with his rather untrained eye. He carefully touches it and says, "Well fuck, that's pretty neat."

"Thanks?"

"Oooh! What's that?!" an excited and loud voice yells from the other side of the square. All six wolves turn around and see Luffy jumping up and down, his eyes turning into stars at the sight of the robot-wolf. Chopper is the same while Law is shaking his head, grinning at Kidd because he fully knows that Luffy will soon skip over there and cause them trouble.

Kid bites his lip and raises his middle finger at the surgeon, who does the same back before Luffy actually runs over, closely followed by a slower Chopper. Ace lets out a 'uurgh' when Luffy jumps on top of him to lean over, trying to get a good look at whatever it is in Kid's hands.

"Did you make that?! What is it, what is it?!" Luffy asks, his eyes sparkling as he keeps looking at the toy in his brother's friend's hands. Kid sneers, his face almost as red as his hair, but says, "Yes, I made it. Happy? It's nothing, just a wolf-figure made out of scratch. From the Terminal."

"AWESOME! Can I hold it?!" Luffy exclaims and Chopper joins in on the fun, gaping at the toy in awe.

The five others around Kidd start to laugh at him but Bartolomeo is quick with saying, "Give it to him already, tomato-face." Kid makes a fist at him before Luffy actually takes it out of his hands by himself and he holds up, his eyes still sparkling.

"Oi! Don't just take my shit!" Kid exclaims but calms down a little when Ace holds up his hand, mentally telling him that it's better not to say anything at all. Kid sighs annoyed and hates that he gets so red because two teens get excited about something that he made.

"That's so cool, Kid! Law! Look at what Kid has made!" Chopper chirps, jumping up and down since he is shorter than Luffy. Kid's eyes widen when Chopper says that but before he has a chance of saying anything about it, Law is already by their side. He smirks at the red head and Kid hisses, "Fuck off if you're only going to shit on it."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Kid-ya." Law says and Chopper starts tugging his sleeve, aggressively pointing at the toy in Luffy's hands.

"Lu! Don't break it!"

* * *

Usopp sighs loudly as he leans forward on the bar, making Makino giggle a little. It's rather quiet in Party's Bar but Usopp is fine with it. He is sitting on a stool, accompanied by Zoro and Nami. Sanji promised he would join them later since he still has work to do. Brook is softly playing his piano in the background and Robin and Franky are both at home. Robin felt tired while Franky is busy working on a project with Iceberg, one of the other workers in the shipwright company.

Makino leans next to him and asks, putting her face pretty close to the younger male, "Something bothering you, Usopp-san? I don't believe I've ever seen you this down."

Zoro rolls his eyes and answers for his friend, already reaching for the sake in front of him, "That boy from last night showed up in the forest today. Usopp thinks the kid is homeless but he too knows that can't be the case so he's been like this ever since this morning."

Makino tilts her head to the side, thinking for a moment, before she smiles and says, "Aah, the cute little one who ate all the meat. Luffy, wasn't it? How was he? Was he okay?"

Usopp moans and hits with his fist on the table, startling Brook out of his music for a mere second. Makino looks at him with widened eyes and Usopp cries out, "He was okay! Too damn okay! Who acts that cheerful after being kidnapped like _that_ by the world's creepiest looking villain in the history of creepy looking villains?!"

"You're mad that he is okay?" Makino asks in amusement and Nami says, poking Usopp's cheek with her index finger, "This idiot here wants something bad to happen, that's what it is. He doesn't want Luffy to be okay. He wants him to be, I don't know, a beggar who lost his entire family to mass murder and is putting up a facade of happiness to hide his true pain."

Usopp groans and pushes her hand away. He slams both his hands on the wood now and says, "I am telling you, that might actually be true! What kind of person shows up, totally randomly, basically _begs_ for food, gets dragged out by an evil spirit then proceeds to show up in the forest, happily showing our dumb friend his way back while being the sun himself?! And not the forget that he just disappeared like that again as well! Just like that, wham, boom, gone! That Luffy is a real mystery and I want to know his tragic back story."

The two swing doors open and Sanji walks in, his cigarette taking out as he speaks, his eyes automatically traveling towards Nami, "Are you still on about the weirdo from last night? Forget about him, he's gone with the wind."

Usopp turns his head around and watches Sanji skip over to the empty stool next to Nami, smiling at her with all he has to offer. He ignores Zoro and Usopp, who are seated on Nami's other side and greets, also eying the green-haired woman behind the bar, "Good afternoon, ladies. How is your evening? I assume great, now that your knight just showed up."

"I'd say you rather ruined the night but I guess that's just me." Zoro dryly remarks, grinning evilly at Sanji's death glare. The blonde flips him off and says, sitting down, "Who asked you to be here? Not me, that's for sure."

Usopp raises his hands, not willing to go through this again. "Alright, let's knock this off guys. This night is supposed to be about me complaining about a complex human being called Luffy. And for your information, Sanji, Luffy isn't gone with the wind. I'd say the wind left him in the woods."

Sanji frowns, ignoring the first part of what Usopp just said. He looks at Nami, asking about what the hell he is talking about. She shrugs and answers, "He's right, in his own stupid way. This morning Zoro and I ran after Bellamy because he stole my money and ran with it into the woods. But per usual, Zoro got lost. It so happened to be Luffy who brought him back to us."

Sanji turns red, slamming his fist onto the counter as he exclaims, "That fucking bastard! Stealing money from my precious Nami, the nerve! Where is he? I'll make sure he won't ever mess with you again."

Usopp facepalms and sighs extra loud, whining, "Is that all you heard?! _Luffy brought back Zoro_! He is still here. Where, I don't have a clue and that annoys me. He found Zoro in the forest but didn't leave it with us. As a matter of fact, the boy disappeared like a ghost. Gone up in the air."

"That makes no sense. I mean, this Luffy dissolving into air of course. Are you trying to tell me that the kid lives in the forest or something?" Sanji asks, his tone skeptical. He has his arms crossed, nibbling on the cigarette between his lips. He is eying Usopp with a frown, much like Zoro is. Though Zoro witnessed everything Usopp is talking about, he too has his doubts about him. Unlike his curly haired friend, he doesn't necessarily need to know more about him.

He showed up for bit and proceeded to disappear out of their lives just as fast. Why bother trying to get to know him when there is only a slim chance of ever seeing him again?

Zoro decides to voice his opinion and says, leaning over his beer, "It'd be better for you not to dig into this kid. It's very likely that he won't show himself again. After all, he ran away the very second you mentioned going to the village. That should tell you more than enough."

Sanji raises an eyebrow, reaching out his arm to wrap it around Nami. She hits it away with such force that he nearly falls but he keeps himself up before asking, light amusement in his voice, "He ran? He actually ran? Well done, Usopp. You scared him."

"I didn't scare him. That can't be it. I'm not scary enough." Usopp mumbles, mostly to himself. He is thinking of reasons why Luffy _did_ run away. Is he ashamed of his situation? If there even is a situation in the first place? Is the boy painfully shy?

No, that's definitely not it. A shy persona wouldn't blatantly laugh at his face and declare that he and Nami are funny. The boy looks anything but shy, now that he's met him twice. It was more than enough.

Usopp stops himself from letting out another sigh and Nami notices, rolling her eyes. She pats her friend on his shoulder and chuckles, "Let it go, Usopp. I wouldn't worry about it. You've got more on your mind than one strange kid."

"I suppose you're right." Usopp mutters, not completely convinced himself at all.

All their heads turn around when the doors are yet again opened but this time it's not one of their friends or anyone they are really familiar with. However, the mere sight of the man makes Usopp's skin crawl. Nami is looking the man up and down but the guys don't look suspicious at all. Maybe a little confused.

Usopp gapes at the man, who is accompanied by another guy. They both look intimidating and Usopp notes the gun stuffed behind the first guy's belt. A blue coat hangs over his shoulders, his long black hair combed back. The second guy has a lot more weight on him, long purple hair and interesting earrings.

Usopp gulps at the sight of the two and would have thought of them as first degree murderers if it isn't for Makino happily greeting them, walking up to the front of the bar with a big smile on her face.

"Bluejam, Porchemy! You're back! How long has it been since you left? It feels like ages!" Makino chirps, putting down a glass she was cleaning. The guy with the gun smiles back at her, showing Usopp him his crooked teeth. He settles himself down next to Sanji, who can't help but stare him down.

The other one joins the blue coat's side, waving at Makino with a short hand gesture.

Blue coat grins and answers, "It does, doesn't it? Last time I was here, this guy over here," He stretches his arm and pats Sanji on the shoulder, who looks at him in shock. So does Usopp, not understanding how this man seems to know Sanji.

"Was just a little toddler. Zeff's kid, right?"

Sanji frowns and looks at the hand, the stare politely asking him to remove it.

"Yeah, that's my dad. How do you know?"

The man laughs and hits the bar as he goes.

"How? Boy, I used to live here! How can I forget that good old bastard? And you, along with it? Your eyebrow certainly makes me remember your face. I'm sure you were about eight when we left on our journey. Polchemy, how long ago did we leave?"

The second guy tears his gaze away from Makino to answer, "Oh, about nine years ago."

"That's right. Nine years ago. How old are you now, boy?" Bluejam, as that is the only name left for as far as Usopp is aware, asks as he turns his attention back to the blonde chef. Sanji sighs and answers, "Seventeen. Fine, you somehow know me. I don't remember you at all."

"I'm sure you do, little chef. Back in the day, me and a group of other strong men used to protect this village against werewolves." Bluejam tells them, causing Nami to shout out, seemingly getting her lost memories back, "Shit! That's right! I remember you! You once helped out my mother when she was attacked by a wolf."

Bluejam smiles and says, "Correct. Those are the type of guys we are."

"Werewolf hunters?" Zoro dryly asks, not really wanting to join the conversation but still needing confirmation. Bluejam nods his head and proudly says, "Down to the core!"

Makino smiles and tells the three teens, picking up her glass again, "They left because they heard there was trouble in a nearby kingdom. There were not enough hunters so they took it upon themselves to help them out. They've been traveling ever since."

"That's right, love. And now we're back in our home town. It feels nice, seeing everyone so grown up and older. I sure hope there have been no problems with werewolves, Makino. I had hoped that we'd chased them all away."

Usopp stares at him, his mouth fallen open as he asks, with a stutter, "Y-you're that strong? You can just.. chase away the werewolves?" Polchemy doesn't miss the hidden envy and answers, pride evident, "That's what we do for a living, kiddo. Chasing away the monsters, keeping the people safe."

Makino giggles, pointing out, "They're very good at what they do, Usopp-san. After all, we haven't had a single wolf attack these last nine years. They are either gone or hidden, somewhere far away from us."

Zoro doesn't look impressed but Usopp is totally on the other side of the fence. The imitated feeling gone for the most part, he shuffles a little closer and asks, with narrow eyes, "What is that you do, you know, to keep them away?"

Bluejam's glance darkens for some reason but the smirk stays resting on his face.

"I'd be happy to enlighten you, my boy."

* * *

The mood in Moby Dick is nice, Marco decides as he takes a sip from his sake. All the workers are gathered in the main office, on the outside square. It's a nice, dark evening and they are celebrating yet another success in their business. They joined forces with the Decalvan Brothers, a strong merchant duo from the north. With their alliance, the Whitebeards can only grow into a bigger and more powerful company than ever.

He chuckles as he watches Izo and Haruta engage in a drinking game, which is not unusual for the Whitebeards. It's just a little unusual for Haruta himself, who is not the type to go drunk during a party at all. Izo, however, holds his liquor quite well so it's a nice surprise to see such polar opposites go down in a battle like this.

Almost everyone gathers around the two, shouting various things at them as two camps divide themselves around the table. Whitebeard himself is seated not too far from it, laughing loudly as he too is interested in the game.

Marco doesn't bulge and stays exactly where he is, satisfied enough. It's not like he isn't in the mood, because he is, but there has been something on his mind for a while now and he has been able to put it off for the time being. But now, being able to relax, it comes back and Marco can't stop being bothered by it.

A hat.

A cowboy hat.

That night, when the, if Marco must say, _adorable_ little teenager was eating another stranger barged into Makino's bar, not at all looking happy. He was dressed very darkly but the cowboy hat on his head looked a lot like the one he used to own. Granted, it was decorated with two smiles and red beetles but still.

Marco can't stop wondering about it and apparently, Thatch notices. He pats Izo on the shoulder as a sign of encouragement and makes his way over to his best friend, holding his own can.

"Oi, what are you doing here all by yourself? Come join us already."

Marco smiles at him but shakes his head, taking a sip from his drink. He lets out a satisfied sigh and says, "I'm just thinking, yoi. It's nothing to worry about."

Thatch frowns, thinks about it for a bit before he gets the message. He shakes his head and leans back, next to Marco.

"Still thinking about that hat, brother? Let it go, it's just a coincidence. Your hat wasn't one of a kind, it was a fabricated item that was mass produced all over the world. It'd be strange if you were the only one owning it." Thatch chuckles, causing Marco to roll his eyes.

"I sold that hat to Shanks like ten years ago, yoi. By now, the production of that hat must have stopped, don't you think?"

Thatch shrugs. "Perhaps, perhaps not. You never know. Cowboy hats aren't unpopular. Kids love them so I wouldn't be surprised if it's still in business."

Marco pouts his lips and nods, supposing that Thatch is right. But a side of him still irks to find out. Though, small chances he will. The man looked beyond furious for some reason and dragged the teen away like a doll, not at all careful. He didn't look like he liked being in Foosha Village and considering how both of them had never shown their faces before that night, Marco figures they are not from around here.

A loud creaking, coming from the big fences that surround the property, interrupts Marco and Thatch's quiet conversation and stops the party altogether. Everybody turns their heads around, except for Haruta and Izo, who are at this point near drunk.

A dark, big figure pushes himself through the gates and Marco narrows his eyes at the man. He takes his time to step into the light, but when he does, a loud cheer erupts and Izo exclaims, "Teach! Damn, it's really you!"

The man smiles widely and shouts back, "Hell yeah, it's me! I'm back in town!"

He walks closer and meets up with Marco and Thatch first. Marco smiles at his friend and pats him on the shoulder before Thatch actually hugs the man, mock-crying, "I never thought I'd see you again! You bastard! Just going off on an adventure without me, how dare you?!"

Teach laughs loudly and says, "I'm sorry, my friend. Just doing my job."

Marco scratches his cheek at that. Teach used to be part of the Whitebeard company until he decided to join the werewolf hunters, claiming that was where he belonged. Marco can't deny that he is good at what he does. After all, the werewolves haven't shown themselves once, not even while Teach was gone on his journey with the other werewolf hunters. However, it is no secret among the Whitebeards that their Pops is never one to judge someone based on their race. Most of the merchants, including Marco, have grown up with Whitebeard as their adoptive father and he tried his hardest to make them believe in the same.

For Marco's part, it worked. He has never met a werewolf in his life and of course he knows all the terror stories. There is no denying that there are some really dangerous ones among the werewolf clan but just like people, there must be plenty genuinely nice ones. And until Marco is proven otherwise, he will stand by that point.

He is glad that Teach has found something that he can help the people with but though he is his friend, he does not share the same beliefs as him.

Whitebeard's laugh joins the mix as well and Teach waves at the old man, calling out, "Pops! How you've been?!"

"I've been great, my boy. I've been doing great. So tell me, Teach. What have you done on your journey? Only hunting on werewolves?"

The disapproval is notable and Teach notices it too. He sighs and says, "I helped out villages, Pops. That's what I've been doing. Making sure that no children got hurt, keeping families safe. After all, werewolves do make people feel terrified and that's not what we want. I just don't fully understand where you are coming from, with all of your ideas on 'nice werewolves'."

"Pops just doesn't believe in those stories, my friend. He likes to think of them as humans." Thatch says, smirking. Teach frowns at him and looks up at Whitebeard. The man's expression doesn't change and he himself says, his voice loud, "Anyone who is willing to share a drink with me I shall see as an alley. If that were to be a werewolf, than so be it."

Marco can see that Teach wants to argue against it but instead of starting a fight, just when their friend got back, he moves over and says, "We were just celebrating our latest success, Teach. And now that you're back, we got even more reason to get wasted tonight. Grab a drink, join the crew! Let's put our beliefs aside for tonight, alright?"

Teach sighs but a smile creeps on his face and he nods. Loud cheers erupt again and soon, Teach is handed his own can and he joins Haruta's side, who is at this point drunk. He is hiccuping but still going strong.

Thatch cheers as well and leaves Marco's side to encourage Haruta.

Marco shakes his head and looks up at Whitebeard. The old man looks happy enough and Marco sighs relieved. He takes another sip from his beer and decides to just join in on the fun.

* * *

 **Thanks to everyone who read this:) I appreciate it! x  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Just a quick thanks to all the people who have reviewed my story so far and all the follows and faves this story is getting! I'm happy people are enjoying all the randomness that comes out of my brain XD**

* * *

"Luffy-ya, keep your hands off the black berries. They are not for eating, they're supposed to serve as medicines."

Luffy pouts as those words leave Law's mouth and the older swats his grabbing hand away from the pouch filled with berries. Law rolls his eyes. Chopper bends his tiny body forward to see what Luffy is trying to do and immediately says, his voice high, "Luffy! My mother sent us out to fetch her some more herbs, not to hunt for food! Please don't eat the medicines!"

"Why~! They look very delicious." Luffy whines, swinging his legs back and forth. The three are seated high up on a branch, looking down on the woods. A couple of branches that hang above them keep them hidden in the shadows, which is exactly what Law was aiming for. They took a risk, getting a little closer to the village. The plant that Kureha mostly needed was the Hummingbird Sage and it's too unfortunate that those plants only grow at the beginning parts of the forest. Normally, Law would either go alone or join the doctor, who always goes with Chopper.

Today, Luffy was once again bored because his brothers were too busy with their friends and decided to join the two. Kureha was working on organizing her herbs and potions, which is why Law and Chopper went out on their own. Luffy just ran after them, shouting that he was going to come along.

Law doesn't mind a couple of extra eyes to look for herbs but Luffy doesn't know anything about medicines and plants. Just today he pulled out several toxic weeds and nearly ate a berry that can kill a wolf, just as much as any human, instantly. Chopper was about to have a heart attack and Law was on the verge of kicking Luffy back to the cave if it meant for him not to touch anything that could potentially kill him.

Chopper heavens a little sigh and reaches for the herbs in Luffy's hands. Luffy watches him go with a glance of fascination and asks, "What are these for?"

The youngest among the three smiles brightly, happy to share his knowledge with the black wolf. Law looks surprised by the fact that Luffy wants to learn something and grins, darkening his glance with his big, white hat.

"These are called Lady Ferns. They help treat minor cuts and burns. Really useful for small injuries." Chopper happily explains, holding up one of the many leaves that Luffy found with a little help of Law. Luffy mostly pulled out useless weeds until he finally found the Lady Ferns. It was getting frustrating for Law, him wanting to just get it over with.

Chopper turns to look at Luffy, a big smile on his face but it falters when he notices Luffy isn't paying attention anymore. He is watching his feet move, letting them turn into paws and back. Luffy laughs loudly and Law groans, adjusting his hat as he says, "Pay attention when you ask a damn question."

"Ah, I'm sorry, Chopper."

"Sorry is not gonna cut it!" Chopper complains and puts the leave back on its stack. There are three stacks of plants and one pouch with black berries. The first stack is of Lady Ferns, with the other two being catnip and the Hummingbird Sage. Kureha didn't need much else for now so Law is not going to waste time doing so either.

"Alright, Chopper-ya. Do we have-"

A loud screech cuts Law's question short and three heads spin towards the sound with the speed of lighting. Chopper freezes, unconsciously crawling closer to Law. Said guy has narrowed his eyes, holding firmly onto the branch they are sitting on. Luffy is just staring into the distance, his ears standing up.

"That was not a wolf. There is human nearby. Fuck." Law curses. Chopper turns even paler and hisses, "What now, Law?! He can't see us in here!" Upon hearing the sound of leaves creaking, Chopper lets out a silent scream and grabs Law, shaking and a face as white as a ghost.

Luffy is staring down, gaping as he tries to see where the human is coming from. He slightly turns his head when he feels Law's hand on his back. The older of the two is looking at him with widened eyes and urges, "Luffy-ya, come over here. He won't see us if we hide under the leaves."

"What are you talking about? We're super high up! There is no way he'll see us!" Luffy exclaims, Chopper shushing him out of fear the human might hear them. Law frowns at the hidden disappointment in Luffy's voice but choses to ignore in favor of pulling the alpha son near him. However, they all freeze once again when a figure suddenly stumbles through the bushes and ends up falling right in front of their tree.

"Fucking shit." Law hisses, feeling Chopper shake tremendously behind him. The youngest of them is tightly holding onto Law's shirt, never having even seen a human this close. Law meant to keep it that way and is not about to let the human see them. That is the last thing that is going to happen. So Luffy just has to cooperate already and come over.

Law snaps out of his frozen pose, reaching for Luffy again. But instead of listening, Luffy seems to get ready to jump down.

Law's eyes widen and he hisses, "For fuck's sake, straw hat-ya! Listen to me, damn it! Get over here! Now!"

Luffy pouts, "Torao! Don't worry! I have met this human before, I can make sure he'll go back home. Let me handle this."

Law angrily bits his lap, making a fist at Luffy.

"I won't let you handle anything! Luffy-ya, stay the fuck where you are-"

"LONG-NOSE!"

Chopper makes a noise than comes close to the squeaking of rubber, watching Luffy jump down with ease. He looks at Law in worry and hitches his breath at the sight of his friend. Law's hands start to twitch, as are his eyes. He is staring right ahead of him and just knows that once Luffy gets back, and trust him he will, he is going to strangle him.

For now, Law couldn't care less about the what the alpha family might do to him.

Luffy is going to get it the very second Law sees him without that damn human.

* * *

Usopp regrets all of his life choices.

The very second an obnoxiously loud voice cuts through the air, right above him, he gets a heart attack and lets out the loudest scream he has ever produced. With shriek, Usopp stumbles backwards, having just gotten back on his feet, and falls back down. His heart is still racing too fast and he is shaking, not daring to move his eyes up.

All he wanted to do was get into the forest and maybe spot Luffy between the trees. He isn't the type of guy who would just go into a dark forest but his curiosity about Luffy is too much. None of the others wanted to go so he was left with no other choice than to be the man that he is and go on his own.

He never meant for any of this to happen.

He wanted to stay close to the village, reasoning that Luffy must be near, but he lost track of time and wanted to go back home. Luffy was nowhere to be found anyway.

But now, laying on the ground like an abandoned little bird, Usopp wishes he never went in the first place.

He gathers up all the courage that is still left in his body and with his head shaking, Usopp dares to look up and lets out another shriek at the sight of the very person he was looking for.

Luffy is standing right in front of him, his hands crossed and his head slightly tilted to the side. A big grin rests on his face and though his eyes are slightly shadowed by the ridiculous straw hat that he is once again wearing, Usopp can see the gleam in the boy's eyes.

"L-L-L-Luffy?!"

Luffy laughs out loud and says, his voice just as loud and confident, "You're so funny, Usopp! Tumbling through the woods like that is fun to do, isn't it?!"

'What the hell is he talking about?' Usopp thinks as he deadpans at Luffy's big smiley face. He calms down, knowing that is 'just' Luffy and pushes himself back on his feet again. He wipes off the sand on his butt and looks down for the notepad that he is carrying around with him. Like a true detective, he planned on writing everything down that Luffy is doing. If he were to find him.

Usopp slightly flinches as he picks up the notepad. Zoro's rough voice still rings through his mind.

" _The fuck is up with this stalker behavior? You're starting to make me seriously question your sanity."_

Everyone else seemed to agree to that statement, making Usopp cry even more on the inside. Why can't his friends see there is something about Luffy that makes him so... different from the rest of them? Maybe it's because he lived so long on his own (again, this is just Usopp's mind taking control over his thoughts) that he just isn't used to having humans around.

That thought is saddening and as Usopp looks at the innocent smile on Luffy's face, he gets even depressed. If that is actually true, this boy is putting up a nice show not to let the world know how tough his life is.

Usopp sighs and says, pointing with the notepad at Luffy, "To hell with that! It's hurts! You do that more often or something?"

Luffy pouts, "I wish, but no. My mother doesn't want me to do it because it could 'damage' my body. But it's fun to roll around through the leaves and just," Luffy walks backwards and throws his arms up in the air, "Just feel free and have fun."

He grins at Usopp, who has no words for that. He therefore clears his throat and asks, taking the chance now that it's right in front of him, "Say, Luffy. Now that you're here," _Usopp is not going to question why he is still here_ , "and how I couldn't talk to you when you brought Zoro back, what do you say when you and I just go to town? You know, I'd love to show you around a little. I take it you're new here?"

Luffy entire body freezes and for a moment, it's awfully quiet between the two of them. Luffy doesn't say a single word. Usopp has to lean in to hear his harsh breathing. The smaller boy start shuffling with his feet, clearly in a uncomfortable situation. He the back of his hand under his nose, so fast that it seems to hurt the bone in his nose.

Usopp is watching Luffy in a state of uncertainty. Once again, the boy is behaving weirdly at the mere mention of the village and frankly, Usopp isn't sure what to make out of that. For whatever reason is Luffy hesitant to go into town? Afraid, perhaps? But that would make no sense, of course. Usopp already figured that out. The boy doesn't look like he has a care in the world, doesn't keep his mouth shut and most certainly doesn't look like he'd be scared of something.

However, there is always this underlying hesitation, dubiety in Luffy's form during talks about going to village. Even just the word seems to trigger a reaction in his tiny body that tells him to completely freeze and look out of place.

Luffy coughs and throws a look over his shoulder, as if searching for someone, asking for help. It's almost as if he is asking the trees for help. Usopp shakes that ridiculous thought out of his head and clears his throat, raising a finger as he says with a pitch in his voice, "Oi, oi, you don't need to if you don't want to. You just..."

Usopp doesn't know what he wants to say, turning his hands over one another as he thinking of the right word to use in a situation like this. Luffy moves his eyes over to him, watching the hands move about. He follows every twitch and every muscle it seems, waiting for Usopp to finish his sentence.

"I just.. what?"

"Well, you see... Well, I don't know how to put it. You just seem kind of lonely, I suppose. Yeah, that's the word. Lonely." Usopp speaks up, a sudden rise in his confidence now that he is no longer at a loss of words. Luffy lets out a 'ehh' and tilts his head to side, asking with such wonder, "Lonely?"

Usopp scratches behind his head and nods, moving his hand up in the air in no particular direction.

"Yeah. Lonely. You just seem to wander about in these woods, all by yourself. You show up and then leave again, leaving me to wonder where the hell you came from and who you are. Next thing I know, you're in the woods. Yesterday, today and no doubt tomorrow as well. I don't want you to feel out of place, is what I'm trying to say."

He looks around him and walks closer, Luffy nailed to the ground.

"The people in Foosha Village are the kindest folk you will ever meet. They are crazy, out of their minds some of them, but so genuinely nice and friendly. There is no need for you to be afraid. You can come to the village, Luffy. They will accept you, even with that weird entrance you made a couple of nights ago. I can assure you. Don't just try and live on your own in the woods, that's dangerous and just too scary. Come on, I'll show you around. Can you at least let me do that?"

Luffy is looking at him, Usopp never having seen him this serious. The boy seems to hesitate and something tells Usopp that he really wants to go. However, something in Luffy is holding him back and as he throws another look over his shoulder, he visibly gulps before he lets out a very loud sigh.

He turns back to Usopp and smiles widely.

"Alright! Show me the village! But only for a short time, I've got somewhere else I need to go."

 _And what might that be?_ is a question that rests on Usopp's tongue but he wisely chooses not to ask that question. There is no doubt that Luffy is going to be weird about it and most definitely not answer it.

Usopp is just _so_ relieved that Luffy agreed on going with him because of a second, he had expected another turn down or maybe even Luffy once again disappearing in thin air.

"Grand! Alright, let the great Usopp show you around my amazing home town! Watch and be _amazed._ " Usopp stresses the word 'amazed' and unconsciously throws his arm around the boy. Luffy tenses and slightly flinches, glancing up at Usopp with big eyes. Usopp stares back and realizes what he just did. Not understanding the problem, Usopp ever so slowly moves up the arm and asks, "Something wrong?"

"Eh? No, n-no. Nothing is wrong. Funny, didn't know humans did this too." The last sentence is whispered to himself but Usopp is close enough to hear it. He frowns and feels his heart rate go up. Just what the hell is this kid on about? Usopp takes a deep breath, deciding not to think about.

No, Luffy has been separated for mankind for too long. That's it, that's the only logical explanation.

"Yosh, Luffy. Let's go!"

* * *

"Law! What are we going to do?! Luffy said it'd be fine, but what if it won't be fine?! He went with a human, for our sake! Oh no, they are going to kill him! LAW!"

"Chopper-ya! Panicking like this is not going to solve anything! Right now, we just..." Law grunts annoyed and runs a hand through his hair, avoiding the ears. He bites his lip and continues, throwing a look over his shoulder as he and Chopper run through the main hallway into the hidden cave, "We need to get one of his brothers because I can't do anything about this. They are much better at making him listen and that's what we need right now. And no way am I going to go to the human village. Luffy-ya did great with distracting the human but the plan was not for him to just fucking go along and happily skip his way into this damn trap."

Chopper visibly gulps and sweat is running down his tiny face, his lower lip shivering from fear. It was his first time seeing a human so close but he really didn't want that to end up in that human taking Luffy away from them. The fact that Luffy's face was beaming (like only he can do) made the situation much worse.

"Luffy is too trusting. He is too darn trusting, Law. They will know, I can already tell! You heard what that... long-nosed human had to say! He was wondering what Luffy was! He knows something is up!" Chopper hisses again, running really fast to keep up with Law's long legs.

Law growls, fully aware of the fact that Chopper is right. He wouldn't call Luffy stupid because the boy doesn't act like a carefree butterfly during serious moments and when danger is right around the corner. However, the boy doesn't know danger when he sees it and will call it 'an adventure' rather than down right risky. He is not afraid of anything and though most of the time that is a great thing to have, it's not when Luffy is supposed to stay away from certain places for good reasons.

"Fucking damn it! Damn it all! That selfish bastard, running around with a human like that. He said he was just going to lead him away, not go on a fucking tour. And we both know that he damn will go on that tour and not abandon that weird looking human once they've reached the village." Law growls and slightly narrows his eyes when the blinding lights that come from the fireflies, all flying around in groups inside the black lanterns.

He moves his hand down again and looks around, having a great view from the top of the stairs. He sees Doflamingo bugging Crocodile in the far right corner, sitting halfway in the dark. When he turns his head to the left, he sees his dad just slipping over a loose rock. Law resists the urge to roll his eyes at Cora-san, deeming the situation a little too serious to be laughing at his caretaker.

His eyes scan the whole square, which is the first thing that you'll see once you step out of the hallway. He is trying to find the two brothers, who were just here when they left. They seem to be no where in sight but a strong tug on his pants from Chopper makes Law jerk his head down as he snaps, "Oi, little wolf-ya. What are you doing?"

"Ace! Over there! Let's go!" Chopper cries out, pointing towards an alley that Law hadn't looked at yet. Law turns his head, following Chopper's hand until he sees what the younger one sees as well. Ace and Sabo are talking to Kidd and Cavendish about something that Law probably doesn't care about.

He tightly presses his lips together and heads down to them, keeping his calm as he quickly walks down the stairs, his face as expressionless as he can make it. The only people that are allowed to know what Luffy is up to are his brothers. No need to cause more chaos among the other werewolves.

Chopper is trailing behind him, already on the verge of tears. The little guy is very terrified of humans, scared that they'll call him a monster or unwanted. His head is probably filled with situations in which the humans are going to kill Luffy or eat him alive. Thank Shanks for telling him all kinds of horror stories about the humans. Law wishes he could say that Shanks was making it sound so much bigger than it actually is but there are just a handful of stories among the thousands that he's told that might be exaggerated.

Law crosses the square and by the time they are almost there, Chopper cries out, "ACE! SABO! It's terrible!" Law quickly throws a look over his shoulder but no one seems to be paying attention to them. He sighs relieved, happy that they are close enough to the two brothers only for them to hear Chopper crying.

All four wolves that are crowded in the alley turn around. Cavendish and Kidd look at the two with a frown, though Kidd's expression changes to a scoff at the sight of Law. Law ignores it for now and turns to Ace, who is also looking at him in a little confusion. However, his glance turns rather concerned at the sight of Chopper crying and he asks, having Sabo lean over him, "What are you talking about? What's going on?"

"Keep your voices down, I don't need anyone else to hear it." Law hisses as he moves closer to the group. Cavendish clears his throat and asks, "The fuck, Trafalgar? What the hell is making you two so up your asses?"

"This is not a joking matter, cabbage! This is about Luffy! He is in trouble and I don't know what to do!" Chopper cries out, his voice indignant towards Cavendish. Cavendish's eye twitches at the terrible nickname (that he got because Luffy could not pronounce his name as a little pup) but he leans in a little closer at the mention of Luffy being in trouble, mumbling a small, 'what'.

Ace and Sabo both turn pale and Ace wastes no time in grabbing Law's collar, pulling him near him to hiss in his face, "What the fuck, Law?! Luffy is in trouble?! You fucking... _you_ were with him! You were supposed to look out for him! Where the hell is he?!"

Law struggles to push the concerned brother off him and snaps, "How can I look out for someone who doesn't listen to a word I say? I'll tell you what happened if you let go of me."

Ace doesn't want to but with a tap from Sabo on his shoulder, he growls and reluctantly lets go of Law's collar. He crosses his arms instead and joins Sabo's side, whose face has shadowed, his arms also loosely crossed over one another.

Kidd and Cavendish are standing on the side, staring at Law with a shocked expression on their faces. Though Kidd's is a little less obvious, Law is very certain that he too is getting a little worried about Luffy. It's not that strange, considering how reckless and prone to danger Luffy is.

Chopper's lower lip is still shivering and Law sighs, running a hand through his hair as he tells the two brothers, "We were out to fetch some plants for Kureha-ya when this human showed up. Apparently straw hat-ya knew who it was and decided upon himself to lure him away from our hiding spot. That's what happened. He went up to his man and let that human take him to the village. Luffy brought this upon himself."

Chopper lets out a loud sob and cries out again, "What if it was a trap?! They are going to eat Luffy! They are going to kill him!"

Ace hand curls up in a fist and he hisses, "I am going to kill Luffy one day. Always making me worry about him. Are you sure Luffy went with him on his own account?"

"Of course I am. The human invited him for a tour along the village because he seems to think that Luffy-ya is some poor human who lives on his own in the woods. Luffy seemed perfectly content with him. He even said that he can't take too long because he has to be somewhere. The little shit said it was going to be fine but still." Law says, resting his hand on his hip. Chopper has wrapped his arms around one of Law's long legs and is basically hugging it, snot running down his face.

The corner of Sabo's lip twitches and he sighs, looking around him before he says, "It seems that we have to go and get him before this turns into a disaster."

"You made it the last time. You better do it again this time." Law points out, making Ace narrow his eyes at him.

"How do you know that?"

"Luffy-ya told me very excitedly how met 'really nice' humans. I didn't spy on you, if that's what you're thinking. Ace-ya." Law bites back, not bothering to tell more. Ace groans and grabs Sabo's arm as he says, "Let's go now before anyone notices he's gone."

Sabo nods but just when Ace pushes Law out of the way to run towards the village, Cavendish stops them by exclaiming, "Are you trying to tell me Luffy has met fucking humans and _talked_ to them?! He knows them?! Is that kid completely out of his mind or something?! He is not Shanks! He can't do that! Doesn't he understand how dangerous that is?!"

Kidd joins Cavendish's side and says, his voice deep and rough, "I hate to admit it, but he is right. Shanks and Benn are the only two wolves in our pack that are allowed to have contact with the humans. Not even Doflamingo or Rayleigh can just hop into the village and start some conversation. Why the fuck is Luffy familiar with those damn creatures? And why is he so okay with it? They are monsters, they want us dead for no fucking reason. He should not be so happy about this."

Ace snaps his head back and hisses, now both his hands tightly curled up into a fist, "We know that! Fuck, we know. But Luffy is too stubborn to listen to any of us. He has been fascinated by humans ever since he heard they existed. You and I both know he believes there are nice humans among them but that's bullshit. There is not a single one of them that can be considered 'nice'. They all want our heads, they all want us murdered. And if I or Sabo won't go to that village now and get Luffy out of there before anyone notices a thing, we'll be one wolf short tomorrow!"

Ace has turned bright red at the end of his little speech and storms off, not waiting for Kidd to reply. Sabo sighs and walks backwards as he says, "We'll be back before the hunters go. If they ask questions, tell them we're out training with the three of us. Don't let them know a thing."

"Wasn't planning on it." Law states, turning around to watch Sabo and Ace dash off, into the passageway. Chopper is still sobbing and whispers, "Please hurry up."

* * *

Luffy pulls his straw hat a little tighter over his head the second he sets foot into the village. Usopp is right ahead of him, strolling forward with new found confidence. Luffy trails behind him, holding the hat as he looks around him. The last time he was here, it was night and he ran in here without a clear mind. All he thought about was the smell of meat, not thinking about whatever else he might find.

Now, Luffy has a very clear view of the town. He moves his head up and keeping one hand on top of the straw hat, the young werewolf looks up at all the buildings in front of him. He now notices the windmills at the far back of the town and craning his neck even more, Luffy has a good sight of the big tower in the middle of the village.

There are people walking everywhere he looks. The humans are all busy it seems. They walk in and out of stores, some of them are carrying big wooden boxes while others are standing on the side of the road to just talk to each other.

Usopp has stopped walking in the mean time and turns his head around to look at Luffy. Luffy is still staring at the sky with fascination, watching the birds fly around the tower. He snaps his head back when Usopp calls out his name. The long-nosed guy gestures to him to come closer and says, his voice louder so that Luffy can actually hear him, "Come on, Luffy. You said you have to be somewhere, didn't you? Let's make it fast then."

Luffy blinks really fast for a couple of seconds before he breaks out in a wide grin, trying to stay calm and forget he is surrounded by lots and lots of humans. He rushes up to Usopp and joins his side, looking around with wide eyes. Usopp chuckles and this time not throwing his arm around him, he points straight ahead at a shop and says, "Let's start at my father's work shop first. Listen to this,"

He starts walking and Luffy follows, putting his arms behind him as he can't stop looking around, taking in all the wonders of the human world. It's so much brighter and more colorful than anything in the cave. There are birds flying above his head, merry chatting (though his pack does that too, especially during dinner and parties) and it is just genuinely a pretty nice place to be. Luffy can't deny that he feels out of place, but since Usopp can't know what he is, Luffy can pretend he isn't.

"My father owns a weapon store. Ain't that cool? He sells swords and guns and all the good stuff. Even torches, but you know, since the last werewolves have been gotten rid off a couple of years ago, they don't sell that great anymore. But oh well, it's for a good reason." Usopp proudly chats, not knowing that Luffy's heart freezes when those words leave his lips.

He has heard his parents and older werewolves talk about how the humans think their pack has been exterminated, nine years ago. When Ace got kidnapped, it sparked a war between their pack and the werewolf hunters. It ended in Ace being rescued but very injured. Apparently, the whole pack was left for dead after the war, making the hunters believe they killed them all.

It seems that they told the other humans about their 'victory'.

Luffy thanks all the spirits in the world it is a lie but who is he to tell Usopp that? He feels himself starting to shake at what Usopp said. He seems... happy to believe there are no werewolves around.

Luffy stops walking, making Usopp turn around the very second he notices there is no second presence next to him. He looks at Luffy with a little confusion as he softly calls out, "Luffy?"

"Do you hate werewolves? Long-nose-san."

Usopp looks even more confused now and narrows his eyes at him before an awkward chuckle leaves his lips. He throws a look over his shoulder and says, "Isn't that obvious? I thought we all did. Werewolves used to terrorize our village, living so close to us and all. But a couple of really brave hunters saved us all so you don't need to worry about anything. They are dangerous, Luffy. Deadly and dangerous. I've heard that a pack once killed a whole region. Crazy, if you'd ask me."

Luffy's glare turns dark and while knowing that he can't give away anything, he feels himself getting angry at Usopp. Usopp was supposed to be a nice human, why is talking about his pack like that? Luffy is sure that the guy has never met anyone of his pack before, that must be it. If he does, he'll know how nice werewolves are.

He _has_ to know.

"L-Luffy? What's wrong? Did the werewolves do something to you?"

Luffy's head snaps back up and while the urge to shout at Usopp about how unfair he is being is lying right on his tongue, he swallows it and forces himself to smile a little, shaking his head. He takes a deep breath and walks up to Usopp. He hits him on the back and says, "Show me your dad's shop. The faster we're done, the better, right?"

* * *

 **It may take a little longer to upload the next chapter because I like being ahead of them (meaning, the chapter that I'm putting out online is not the last I've written but that I've already written ahead with two more chapters) so that I won't ever have to stop for months because I have no inspiration. That being said, thank you so much for reading:) x**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! I still need to reply to a couple because I've been so busy lately but I swear I'll get on it:) Enjoy!**

* * *

With a heavy heart, Ace leans against a tree, not too far from the human village. He is glaring at the humans, watching they walk by as if nothing is wrong with the world. Sabo is situated across of him, also leaning against a tree. He has a less sinister expression on his face and is just observing the area, trying to get a glimpse of a straw hat.

Sabo sighs and says, turning to look at his twin brother, "Let's just do this the same way we did it the last time. Once you've found him, let out a whistle. Human ears won't catch it, but I will. I'll do the same if I'm the one to find him, alright?"

Ace groans but nods, tightening his hands around his arms. He scoffs and says, "Fine, let's do that."

The two carefully walk up the village, both grabbing their hats to make sure the ears don't stand out. Sabo looks around him like a fascinated dog but Ace is much more cautious. He knows Sabo is capable of himself and the humans don't know they are werewolves yet he still makes sure that Sabo is the one behind him and not the other way around.

The younger of the twins taps Ace on his shoulder, staring at him with eyes that tell him not to cause any unnecessary trouble. Ace rolls his eyes but still ends up nodding, knowing that it won't solve anything to start bickering over nothing. He throws a short look over his shoulder, just to make sure Sabo understands not to do the same thing before he dashes off into the same direction he went into the last time Luffy went against all the werewolf rules.

Ace is not happy. Not happy at all.

He had made Luffy promise not to go to the village for a damn reason. He wants to keep his brother safe from harm, keep him out of reach from possible hunters. If he followed Law, he has come to the understanding that his brother did this to make sure Law and Chopper can go back safely. While Ace is proud of him for taking the risk, he is not going to applaud him just yet. Luffy may seem to think that he knows what he is doing, but he doesn't.

This is broad daylight not the same dark night as last time. One wrong move and there is no shadow to hide in. Not to mention the fact that Luffy is under the impression they won't mind because they are 'nice humans'.

Bullshit.

There is no such thing as nice humans. They are all killers. They all want the werewolves dead. Do they have a reason? No, only the stupid folk tales that make them out to be deadly murderers. Of course there are werewolves that are like that. Hell, whole packs that smear the already bad reputation the other packs have. But the humans in Foosha Village have absolutely _no_ reason to want them dead. His father's pack has been the one to rule this forest ever since the beginning of the village. Ace's grandfather had a pack before this one, and another ancestor ruled these lands at least 500 years ago.

His family doesn't kill. The one time it got out of control, was during the war. Ace is not proud that he was used to spark it all but it happened. He was right in the middle of the whole war, not being able to do anything other than be a wolf in distress.

His family doesn't kill. They take care of the forest, only hunt for food and stay away from the humans. Ace knows that the packs before his own have never killed for murderous either and his father wants to keep that going. Not a single wolf in this pack, not even Crocodile or Doflamingo (though that is mainly because they are under Roger's watchful eye), has killed a human outside the war.

Not a single one.

The humans, however, they have enough wolf blood on their hands. Ace has seen how deadly and murderous they can get when facing their kind. The hunters that night wanted them dead and lured them out to kill them all in one go. The pack had been living in peace, far away from civilization, until they decided to ruin it all.

The pack had done nothing wrong.

But the humans thought they did. However, it was all them who caused the trouble. Ace's burning hatred for humans started from that point on.

A little before the war started, the hunters had killed a wolf from their pack. Why? Because apparently he tried to attack a woman in the village.

Ace feels himself starting to shake from anger just thinking about it. It wasn't true. It was all a lie. That woman thought their pack member tried to attack her while all he wanted to do was show some kindness for a race that hated their own race.

His name was Coby.

He was a child.

A _fucking_ child. The same age as Luffy was. Barely eight years old. He was Luffy's best friend.

Coby had gotten too close to the border and just happened to see the woman dropping a doll to the ground. Coby was already a very helpful person at that tender age and thought it would be safe enough if he just picked it up and gave it back to her.

However, the fatal mistake he made was staying in his wolf form.

The woman cried out at the sight of him and didn't hesitate to attack the pup. Coby wasn't a strong wolf and couldn't fight back. All he could do, was cry out in agony. The pack had heard it and the strongest of the pack immediately raced towards the sound but by the time they got there, it was too late.

The hunters had come to the woman's rescue and killed Coby.

Ace's glare darkens and he swallows away the lump in his throat. Because Coby was a child (even those stupid hunters could see it) they were led to believe there must be a whole pack in the woods. They got the whole village's approval to hunt them down before another 'attack' could happen.

Using Ace as bait, they lured out the whole pack and after a long fight, they thought they'd kill them all.

Thank fuck that wasn't the case.

No one died but it did make Roger tighten the rules even more. No one but Shanks and Benn were allowed to get anywhere near the borders ever again.

Never.

The humans are cruel creatures. They kill them because they are wolves. Not because of their actions, but simply for who they are.

Ace hates them. He despises them. He wishes he was as naive as Luffy, who has kept this dumb fascination even after they killed his best friend and after they kidnapped Ace, but he isn't. He knows the facts and faces reality as it is.

 _There is no such thing as nice humans._

Ace takes a deep breath, shaking the past out of his mind. He doesn't want to keep thinking about, especially not with a reckless little brother right in the middle of a human village.

He looks around, trying to attract any attention. It's too unfortunate that he made such an impressive entrance while getting Luffy back. People that were supposedly there are looking at him, some with wide eyes others with mild fascination.

 _Fuck off, stop looking at me. Please stop looking at me._

Ace hides more under the cowboy hat and fastens his pace, hating every single second in here. He turns around the first corner he sees and is so far gone in his thoughts that he doesn't notice he walked right onto very sandy grounds. He walks through a big open gate and only when he hears the sound of crates clashing against each other, Ace freezes for a moment before he snaps his head up.

His eyes widen at the sight in front of him.

There is a big, wooden building right in front of him. There is a big whale, made out of wood, placed above the two big doors, both open. Surrounding the building are several storages it seems, each numbered up until six. Most of them are pulled open and Ace can see all the different crates and boxes inside of each garage. There are cargo boxes stacked on one another everywhere and for some reason, lots of empty bottles and cans are spread around the property.

Realizing that this is a place that Luffy will never show up at, Ace immediately turns on his heels and is about to quickly walk back into the village when a loud voice rings from the other side of the created square, aimed at the shock-stricken Ace.

"Good morning, lad! You're early for today but you're damn lucky we are all here already. Wait up, I'll come over."

'Hell fucking no!' Ace thinks and starts running towards the gates. But thinking that he's way faster than some petty humans, Ace is sure he'll make it before that – man? – will get to him. However, just when he thinks he is out of reach, a hand touches his arm and wraps itself around his upper arm. With unexpected strength, Ace is pulled back and before he knows it, a human is staring right at him, an annoying smile resting on his face.

Ace is shocked and starts struggling against the strong hold, not liking the feeling at all. The human, whose brown hair has been done in the strangest way Ace has ever seen, notices his discomfort and lets go with an awkward grin, saying as he releases Ace's arm, "Sorry, my bad. Marco already told me I should use less force when taking a customer's hand. Or in your case, arm."

He laughs loudly and Ace pulls his arm back, holding it far away from the strange human. The man puts his hands on his hips and lets out a little sigh, looking at Ace with a content smile. He suddenly narrows his eyes and tilts his head to the side, looking Ace up and down.

The black wolf breaks out in sweat and hitches his breath. There is no damn way this human knows he is a wolf. There can't be a way, there just-

"Heey, I know you. You were that guy that barged into Makino's bar! You were the dark looking gangster that dragged away that cute little boy that night! Well damn! I knew I recognized that hat from somewhere! What a surprise to see you here!" the man cries out in such a loud voice that several other men walk out of the main building.

Ace inwardly curses and his heart starts to beat faster. He feels suffocated, he wants to get away from all of these humans. They make him so uncomfortable and he doesn't want to be here. He has no fucking time to be here, trying to act decent against these humans.

He wishes this man wasn't so loud because now, he is surrounded by a handful of them. They are all staring at him, though one of them is a lot more relaxed looking that the others. He has a strange haircut, blonde hair and a lazy expression on his face. But Ace was not born yesterday. He can see the eyes keep going up to his cowboy hat and without realizing, he moves his hands up to pull on the cowboy hat, not liking all the eyes on him.

"What of it?" Ace snaps back, harsh and without any intention of being nice. He doesn't have to be polite to humans. And as long as they don't know he is a wolf, it should be able to work.

The man laughs again, to Ace's greatest annoyance, and says in a cheerful voice, "I hope you didn't kill the little fella because it sure did look like you were about to."

 _Why is so happy about something like that? Humans are just as cruel as I thought._

Ace scoffs and sets a step back, firing back with a hiss, "Of course I didn't fucking kill him. You know what, I don't have time for this. I took a wrong turn. I'm going." He looks at the humans and the man pouts for whatever reason that might be. Ace bites on his lip and turns around when the same man calls out again, "Oi! At least buy something! Now that you're here, let me try and convince you to get something from us. I can tell you already, you won't regret it."

A new voice sighs and speaks up, "Thatch, leave the guy. He said he took a wrong turn, he doesn't need to be here."

Ace moves his eyes to the side, not wanting to turn around. He tenses up when the same voice continues, how his voice directed towards him, "But can I at least ask you something? About the hat?"

Ace freezes.

It must be the weirdo who was staring at his hat the whole time. Ace puts his hand on top of it and hisses, " _What of it_?"

There is a short silence before the voice asks, "Where did you get the hat from?"

"I don't need to tell you that." Ace snaps, still not turning around. He is nailed to the ground and he doesn't like it one bit. He hears the shuffling of feet and stiffens when he feels a hand on his shoulder. With a snap, Ace finally turns his head and stares at a... woman? Man?

What is this?

The _person_ is staring at Ace with eyes that he can't read and says, his voice surprisingly gentle for a human, "Boy, that hat you're wearing. We once sold it to another man, it came from this business. As a matter of fact,"

He turns his head and Ace only ever so slightly turns along with him, not fully yet enough to see the person is pointing at the weird blonde haircut.

"It used to belong to him. I don't mean to be rude, but it would be nice to tell him where you got it from."

Ace feels a vein pop somewhere on his forehead and shrugs the hand off his shoulder as he exclaims, starting to lose his patience, "Why?! You are not my boss and won't make me tell you where I got this hat! You people are running a business? Then you shouldn't care where your cargo ends up! You sell it and then forget about it! Why do you care so much about my hat?!"

The first guy (Thatch?) raises his hands and says, his voice urgent, "Oi, oi. Calm down, sir. We don't mean anything by it! That hat just used to mean a big deal to my brother Marco over here. Cut him some slack, please."

Ace turns his glance at Marco, who hasn't said much. He is staring at Ace with calmness in his eyes, clearly not expecting much from this conversation. He has got his arms crossed and finally says, putting his hand on Thatch's shoulder, "If he doesn't want to tell, then don't force him, yoi. It's fine. Maybe it gives us some answers about what Shanks is up to."

Ace freezes at the mention of Shanks. How the fuck do they know Shanks? Ace thinks really fast for a couple of seconds and it suddenly clicks. Shanks buys all of heir needed products from this company. Are they merchants? Is this a merchant company?

It would explain the crates and storage rooms. It would explain the whole selling business.

'Damn it, Shanks. Why did you buy me something that meant something to a human?!' Ace thinks annoyed. He wants to confront the red head about it but he knows he can't. Shanks will immediately know he went to the human village and definitely tell his father.

There is no way in hell that Ace is going to let that happen.

The man-woman frowns and asks, moving away from the tense Ace, "Shanks? How so?"

"Easy, yoi. He buys so much and we don't even know what he does with it. Maybe he resells it to other people. It would explain why this man got my hat. It's possible Shanks sold it to him."

Ace knows that Shanks keeps a low profile here. They are not supposed to know jack shit about him. Therefore Ace decides against saying he didn't buy it from him but actually got it from him. They will question his relationship to the man and it would give it away too much.

Ace stays quiet and watches how the other humans seem to understand what this Marco says and a smaller guy, just a little taller than Chopper, puts his fist into the palm of his hand and says, "That makes sense. I guess you're right."

All the eyes go back to Ace and Thatch says, "Anyhow, you had somewhere else you needed to be, right? Can't find it? I suppose that'd be logical. I've never seen you around before that night. I take it you're new here?"

Ace doesn't answer and looks away. The man seems to take it as a shy 'yes' and chuckles as he walks closer. Ace immediately takes a step back and the man is quick with saying, "Don't be so afraid of me, I don't bite. Here, let me introduce myself to you. Now that you're living here, you should know the other villagers a bit more. My name is Thatch. Nice to meet you..."

He pauses, looking for a name to call the black wolf.

"Why should I tell you my name?" Ace snaps, staring at the reached out hand like it's a foreign object. Humans shake hands, that's right. Shanks has told him and others about their strange habits.

Thatch seems to think it's funny and chuckles a little, taking back the hand.

"Leave it then. We can work on that. But let me tell you this."

He points at the big whale and says, getting excited, "You just walked onto the best merchant company this world has ever known! This is the Whitebeard merchant company and that over there is the Moby Dick, our head quarters. We are all merchants that work under Whitebeard, our amazing boss and father."

"Father?" Ace asks dumbly, regretting that he said something. Marco grins and answers, "We see him as our father, since he took us all in when we had no one. My name is Marco, by the way. The one next to you is Izo and the little guy over here is Haruta. It's nice to properly see your face, whatever your name may be."

Ace bites his lip and can hear the clock ticking in the back of his mind. He really doesn't have time to be here, chatting with fucking humans. He therefore sets another step back and says, "That's very nice but I don't need to be here. Have fun with whatever you humans do to keep yourself entertained."

"Humans? Aren't we all? You've got a funny way of talking." Haruta notes amused and Ace gapes at him, shocked and very angry at himself for letting that slip. He stares at all four humans like a fish on dry land before he turns on his heels to run away with the speed of lighting. He slightly tenses when he hears a familiar booming voice from behind but ignores it as he tries to get as far away from this Whitebeard company as fast as possible.

* * *

Marco watches the strange guy run away, as if he is trying his best to get as far away from the company as he can get. He frowns, not sure what to think of him. That night when he saw him for the first time, he already gave off these weird vibes and though he looks considerably less scary in daylight, there is still something off about him.

Marco can't put his finger on it.

"Well, that happened." Thatch breaks the silence, turning around when Whitebeard walks onto the property. He only throws a short look over his shoulder before he says with a wide grin, "I like him. All gangster and shit."

"The hell is wrong with you? That guy was rude. He could at least have given us a name or am I thinking out of the box here? What kind of attitude was that?" Haruta snaps, staring at the empty spot where the stranger just stood. He crosses his arms and sighs before quietly adding, "I'm sure he was in a bad mood."

Whitebeard's loud laughter echoes through the air and his voice says, coming from behind, "If that ain't the brat I saw a couple nights ago."

Marco frowns, locking eyes with Izo before asking, "Saw a couple nights ago, yoi?"

Whitebeard takes a gulp from the alcohol in his hand and says, after wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "I was cleaning out the cargo when he suddenly showed up, in front of Stefan. But by the time I got close to him, he ran away. Didn't even look back, gurara. Cheeky little brat."

Izo frowns and trows his head back for a short moment, pressing his lips into a thin line. He has an amused look on his face, chuckling, "He had a busy night that night I see. It does make me wonder, though. Where did he come from?"

Thatch shrugs, "Don't know, kind of don't care. The thing that interests me though is his mysterious aura." He wiggles his fingers through the air like some magician and moves them in front of Marco's face, who facepalms at his best friend like he always does when Thatch is being himself again.

"Not? Come on! He looks like a gangster! The time he just barged into the bar, he looked like a damn killer. And just now he also has some mildly annoyed glare on his face. I'm telling you, this man is part of a gang. Or even better!"

He throws his arms in the air and looks up at the amused Whitebeard, who takes another sip from the can in his hand.

"He is part of the same gang that Shanks belongs to! He is his right hand! That's how he got the hat. It's all part of a creepy ritual and I'm into it. Let's find him again and have a proper chat with him. He's a cool dude."

"You get weirder by the day, Thatch. The boy was... interesting in the least, can't deny that. However, I am very certain that he won't come back. He did not look like he enjoyed being here." Izo remarks, cocking an eyebrow at the brown-haired guy. Marco nods, agreeing with Izo. He looks at Thatch and adds, "If he comes back, he comes back, yoi. If not, then let him be. Don't go prying into other people's businesses."

Thatch drops his arms and pouts, glaring at Marco as he snaps, "You people are no fun at all. Even if he didn't like it here, he is still new to the village. It'd be rude not to include him. What if he ends up all alone?"

"He doesn't strike me as the type who'd hate being on his own." Haruta utters, pointing out yet another point that Marco has to agree with. He scratches next to his ear and looks up at Whitebeard, who has been watching Thatch in great amusement. The old man laughs again and finally speaks up, putting one of his big hands on Thatch's shoulder and the other on Marco's, "Fetch me his name and than we'll talk, ghurarara. Let's get to work, sons. Today looks like a promising day."

Haruta immediately thumbs up and turns back to the head quarters, making his way to the others who had decided not to engulf themselves into Thatch's troubles. Izo salutes to Thatch and Marco and heads after Haruta with a rather elegant looking walk, holding his gun in place.

Whitebeard bids his farewell as well, giving the two left over brothers a pat on the back before strolling after his two other sons.

Thatch sighs out loud and leans with his arm on Marco's shoulder as he stares at the gates with the expression of a longing lover. Marco snorts at the thought of it and says, nudging towards the gates, "You're thinking about bringing him back, aren't you?"

"You know me so well, Marco. There is an obvious reason why you're my best friend." Thatch chuckles, admitting to his plan. Marco rolls his eyes, replying, "He's interested me as well, even if it was just the hat. But let's just let it be for what it is for now, alright? Assuming he is going to stay here, wherever he may live, we've got al the time in the world to be worrying about him."

Thatch wiggles his eyebrows at him, leaning in closer as he whispers, "He _interests_ you? Well, well, that's nice information, Marco my brother."

Marco chuckles darkly with a glance towards the ground before he looks up again to say, the obvious threat beneath his gentle voice, "Don't say anything I wouldn't say, yoi. You might regret it."

"Is that a threat I'm hearing?"

"You know me so well, Thatch."

* * *

Sabo isn't sure what he is looking at. He is standing right in front of the big tower, the middle of the village. It's an old-fashioned piece of architecture, even for this day and age. It's a white building, just a tower. There is an small building attached to it, a one floor home. The roof is thatched, as is the top of the tower. The clock in the middle shines golden in the bright sun, the white bricks reflecting just as much light as the sun. Small windows go up in spiral form and Sabo guesses there must be a stair case, following the windows. There is no glass, but just a stripe, left open between the countless other stones.

Several birds are sat on top of the roof but none are heard over the seemingly arguing couple in front of said tower. The girl is short, wearing a short, maroon colored skirt and a big newsboy cap covering her short, orange hair. The man is a lot taller, though that isn't too difficult considering the size of the girl, and is sporting a mustache.

The girl is the one who is pointing at him, her face turned into a scoff while yelling a variety of things at him. The man has got his hands up in the air and if Sabo isn't wrong, there is sweat running down his temples. An uneasy smile rests on his lips and he looks ready to just give in to whatever she is angry about.

"Koala, please stop directing all your anger at me! I don't know why he isn't here yet, but even I can't do much about that fact!"

The girl puffs her face and snaps, now resorting to stamping with her feet, "Shut up! He needs to hurry up and get here already! Damn Ivan, forgetting his den den mushi. I can't tell him anything without facing him first. This is so darn annoying! Hack!"

"I'm sorry!"

Sabo frowns, muffling a little snort from coming out of his nose. He really shouldn't be laughing at two humans fighting over god knows what but all he can see, is Ace and Luffy bickering over nothing. They always do that and though it's Sabo's job, as the responsible middle child, to keep the peace in their brotherhood he always ends up being amused by the two rather than feeling obligated to make them stop.

It's always harmless either way, they know what they're doing. Ace will never forgive himself if he were to hurt Luffy and the same counts for the younger wolf, who is very likely to beat himself up over it.

The blonde wolf isn't so concerned about these two humans, but it looks like the girl is definitely able (most likely _willing_ too) to go at the older man. She is still stomping with her feet on the ground, behaving like a disobeying brat. The man looks awkward in the least, backing away at least three steps from the steaming girl.

Sabo scratches behind his head. He doesn't know how he ended up on the square but here he is. Without Ace and most definitely without Luffy. It's concerning. He hasn't found his scent yet and though Sabo doesn't want to fear the worst, he is prepared for it.

He rubs his hands together to the point that they start to burn. If his hands were paws, he would have gotten an electric shock from the friction. While chewing on his lower lip with his strong, canine teeth, Sabo looks away from the couple to narrow his eyes at his surroundings. He hears so much noise, so many voices that he'd rather not hear, but not a single one belongs to his little brother.

It's strange. Luffy is a very loud person as it is, it shouldn't be this difficult to find him in here. Now that it is, the frustration is starting to build inside Sabo's stomach. The fact that is broad daylight isn't helping calming down those nerves either.

Sabo lets out a loud sigh and turns back, keeping his eyes closed until he is facing the tower again. He slowly opens his eyes but the very second they are open, he's met by big blue eyes, staring right at him. Sabo keeps his shocked shriek inside but he jumps back like a cockroach, holding his arms out in front of him in case he needs to fight someone.

"Did I frighten you, sir? I didn't mean for that to happen."

Sabo blinks a couple of times, realizing it's the same girl who was so angry with the big guy just a few moments ago. He moves his arms down and looks at her. The girl has got her arms behind her back, looking at him with curious eyes and an obvious question resting on her lips. Sabo narrows his eyes at her, not knowing what she wants from him. He slightly tilts his head before moving his eyes up to the big guy, who just joined her side.

"What's the matter? Is there something you want from me?"

The underlying question about whether or not they noticed something off about him is wisely hidden and the tension in Sabo's shoulders is slightly gone once the girl shakes her head. She chuckles a little and says, crossing her arms, "Are you lost, sir?"

"What? Me? Lost? Where did you get that ridiculous answer from? No, no. I'm just looking for..." Sabo quickly answers, trying to think of what to call Luffy. He can't say he is looking for his little brother, that'll give them too much information. The humans can't know anything. If they somehow find out that either he or Ace is a werewolf, they won't go after Luffy at least.

That's all Sabo can think about.

He looks at the girl's friend behind her and finishes, "My friend. Small dude, black hair. Any chance you've seen him?"

The girl thinks for a moment, putting her hand under her chin. She throws a look over her shoulder, questioning her friend. He thinks about it too before he suddenly seems to turn a light on in his head as he answers, holding his finger up, "Is he wearing a red vest and flip-flops?"

Sabo feels hope flow back into his body and he nods, trying to keep his expression neutral and without showing his emotions he says, "That's the one."

"Yeah, I've seen him. He was accompanied by Usopp, the son of our local weapon seller. If my eyes saw correctly, they were on their way to Yasopp's store."

'Weapon seller?' Sabo thinks suspicious, slightly narrowing his eyes at that new piece of information. He remains calm on the outside though and clears his throat, confirming, "Weapon seller. Where can I find this.. Yasopp?"

"Oh, I know!" the girl chirps and joins Sabo's side. She puts a hand on his shoulder and slightly turns him to the right. She points at a sandy road and informs him, "Just follow this road until you see a big sign with crossed guns. You'll need to be there."

Sabo shows them his most polite smile, happy that he at least has the decency to show some manners to humans. As long as they don't see his ears, he can be polite. The very second they see them though, Sabo can play the bad wolf all he wants because that's how they see him anyway.

"Thank you, milady. That's very helpful. Then I'll be on my way." Sabo smiles and slightly tilts his hat as a sign of goodbye and walks backwards before he turns around to continue his way after Luffy.

"W-wait up!"

Sabo stops dead in his tracks, hearing the girl yell after him. With a hint of anxiety, he turns back around but to his surprise, he finds her looking at him with eager, perhaps a little shy, eyes.

"What's your name, sir? I-I don't believe we've met before."

Sabo doesn't say anything before he grins a little darkly. He pulls the side of the hat again and says, now looking back up, "Maybe that'll stay a mystery forever, milady. Have a good day."

* * *

 **No Luffy but a bit more about Ace and Sabo, who I plan to explore even more in this story. After all, they are important protegonists as well. They may not seem like it, but trust me, they will. I just like to take things a litte slow with this:)**

 **Thank you reading! Please leave a review to let me know what you thought of it:) xx**


	9. Chapter 9

**Enjoy! (By the way, I've been listening to Phil Collins' Two Worlds and it actually kind of fits this story. I don't know, I have that idea with all Tarzan songs, lol)**

* * *

"Dad! I'll be showing my new friend around the shop. Don't bother him."

Luffy can hear Usopp's loud voice from his spot outside and he cocks one eyebrow, his head slightly tilted to the left. He presses his lips into a thin line as his eyes find their way to the display of guns, in racks outside the shop. They are placed beneath the dirty window, each with a yellow price tag stuck to it.

Luffy moves closer to them and leans forward, his eyes slightly widened as he takes them all in. They are bigger and way more new looking than any gun the pack owns. They don't have many to begin with, but Benn's ridiculously long and cool gun has seen better days. The wood of the stock is starting to rot and the color of the iron is fading. Shanks' guns are in the same condition but there isn't much they can do about it. His father doesn't want them to go to the village to try and fix the guns. It's not worth it.

Luffy pouts a little at that thought. He understands where his father is coming from. They stay hidden, which should mean they don't have to defend themselves. But at times where they have to, they have their claws and natural weapons. They don't need to use the machines that humans have. Humans are pretty weak in comparison to them, which is why they need technology to keep them safe.

At least, that's what Ace has told him before.

His eyes follow the trigger all the way to the end through which the bullet shoots. They stay rested on that until he feels a hand on his shoulder, belonging to Usopp. The human smiles at him and says, "Beautiful, aren't they? My father is the best when it comes to guns."

Luffy's eyes start to shine and he exclaims, "Your father makes guns?! That's so cool!"

Usopp's eyes light up as well, though for a completely different reason. His smile turns cocky and he grins, crossing his arms as he says with a voice filled with pride, "Ain't it?! Of course, only my dad can be as cool as this. One day I'll be taking over his job and I'll be even cooler."

Luffy gapes at him with such impressed eyes, they'll pop out if he doesn't do something about it. Usopp is still ever so arrogant until a second human walks out of the store, catching Luffy of guard. It's a man, with once again funny looking hair. It looks like rope-like strands of hair, in a light brown color. The man is wearing a cape with blue stars all over it and a giant belt is hanging around his waist.

The first sound that comes out of the man's mouth is a loud snort and he pulls Usopp back by grabbing one of the suspenders that keep Usopp's pants up. Usopp shrieks but he visibly relaxes at the sight of the other human, who says in a cheerful voice, "Oi, oi, don't be lying about my business, son. I don't make guns, boy. I buy them. Sometimes for a bargain, sometimes it's a waste of precious money. But I am an expert in the fields, I know a thing or two about weapons. Mostly guns, but swords are fine too."

He looks up at Luffy and lets go of Usopp. Usopp grumbles something that Luffy can't understand and snaps, "You ruined everything, dad! Why couldn't you stay inside with mom or something?!"

Luffy's curiosity sparks by the word 'dad' and he chuckles like only he can, rubbing one of his finger under his nose. He looks at Usopp's dad with a genuine smile and says loudly, "Your dad is pretty cool, long-nose! Though, where is _his_ long nose? Did your nose get pulled when you were little?"

It's an innocent question yet Usopp seems to explode. His father breaks out in laughter while Usopp exclaims, throwing his arms in the air, "Shut up! It's a trait that I got from my mother! Stop insulting my nose, damn it!"

Luffy can't stop himself from chuckling, temporarily forgetting the comments he just made about being glad to have gotten rid of werewolves. Usopp seems like a genuinely nice guy and while Luffy is not one to brag about himself, he dares to say about himself that he is good at seeing through people. Somehow he just _knows_ someone is likely to be friend or who is an enemy.

So far, Usopp definitely fits more in the first description and that makes Luffy really happy.

There is just no way that someone like Usopp will judge him once he sees his ears. Of course, Luffy has rules he needs to obey and he isn't stupid enough to actually take his hat off to show Usopp his fluffy ears. No, Luffy knows what is expected of him and how humans are most likely to react. While he has the feeling that Usopp won't shout at him about seeing a monster, he isn't sure about the rest of the villagers. Shanks' scary stories about being chased with fire and pitchforks don't sound too appealing to him and Luffy wants to keep things nice and quiet.

At least, how 'quiet' is written in his books.

He won't show anyone his ears unless they force him too. But Luffy isn't weak, he will stop them before they even have the chance of grabbing at his precious hat.

"Luffy, oi. Are you still with us?"

"Eh?"

Luffy snaps out his long lost thoughts and looks up at Usopp, who is giving him the stink eye as he scolds, though lightheartedly, "Are you always dozing off or what? This is like the umpf time that you got lost in whatever you were thinking about. Am I not interesting enough? Or.."

Luffy frowns a little as Usopp's face goes concernedly pale. The boy seems to swallow back whatever he meant to say and reaches out for Luffy's shoulder. Once again, out of instinct Luffy pulls back but upon seeing Usopp's flinch (who had forgotten how Luffy reacted the first time), he makes up his mind and allows the long-nosed human to rest his hand on his rather small shoulder.

His eyes are directed at his boots at first, trying to think of what to say. Luffy doesn't understand what has gotten into him and therefore doesn't hesitate to question it.

"Something wrong, long-nose.. Usopp?"

Usopp holds up one finger before he slowly straightens his back again. Luffy can see Usopp's father giving him very puzzled eyes and while it looks very amusing to the young wolf, he tries not to get distracted by the funny human and tilts his head at Usopp. He lets one of his hands rest on the straw hat and he repeats, "Ne~, come on. What's wrong?"

"I am.. so incredibly sorry. I touched a fragile subject and made you even more uncomfortable. No, don't try to deny it. I am in the wrong. I don't know much about you, but I know enough not to mention anything about your weird behavior. It's quite obvious what's going on here and I shouldn't have said shit." Usopp almost wails at this point, throwing his arms up in the air in a very dramatic way. He looks away from Luffy, who has once again no idea what he is talking about.

So doesn't his father.

The man narrows one eye at Usopp and moves in a little closer, asking as he keeps his arms crossed, "Son, what in the world are you talking about?"

Usopp's eyes dart towards the older man like a deer caught by a group of hunters and they widen as he rushes up to his father, leaving Luffy in the dark. He pushes his father near the entrance of the shop and frantically starts hissing about something. Luffy, being one to not shy away from eavesdropping, uses his incredible sense of hearing and makes his ears move up, from underneath the straw hat. The straw mutes some of the sounds and he therefore only ends up hearing small bits and pieces of what Usopp is panicking about.

"... alone and without a family... woods... no damn shoes... werewolves... blanked out... flinched... dead."

Luffy's glance darkens at the mention of werewolves and he swallows away the lump in his throat. He can't get worked up about the single mention of his family, he can't. They might get suspicious about him, get too close to the truth. Luffy's mouth usually has a mind of its own but having been shielded from the humans his whole life and after what happened to Coby (Luffy refuses to think about that as it only brings back an awful trauma), he doesn't know any better than to always hide his identity. Though he has only recently started putting that theory to practice, he's been brought up with that belief like any other respectable werewolf.

It's in his system to hide who he truly is.

Therefore he knows damn better than to just blatantly tell Usopp that werewolves aren't bad and that they are his family.

He'll prove to them that he isn't as dumb and reckless as they make him out to be.

Usopp's father's voice rings through his mind and he is back on earth. His eyes find the older man and Luffy is starting to give up. He too looks at him with concerned eyes and walks up to him, leaving Usopp behind with a rather anxious looking glance on his face.

"My boy, is is true? Tell me my son is once again at it with his infamous lying."

Luffy frowns and directs his eyes at Usopp, who wastes no time in exclaiming, "Of course it's true, dad! I would _never_ lie about something as serious as this! Also, I would never go to this extent to make up a white lie."

He stares back at Luffy, who narrows his eyes at Usopp before he moves them back to the older human in front of him. The man sighs and says, his voice filled with compassion, "I'm so sorry you had to go through such a painful experience. Losing your parents to werewolves and then being left to survive on your own... I can't even begin to comprehend what that must feel like."

Luffy doesn't believe what he just heard. Losing his parents to werewolves? Is that what Usopp believes his story is? Where did he get that ridiculous idea from?!

The urge to tell both of them off is very strong and Luffy is really about to say something about until he realizes this is a perfect story. Thinking harder about it, Luffy suddenly sees how much of a benefit this will only be for him. They won't suspect him of being a werewolf at all! And when they'll start asking questions, he can just use Usopp's stupid scenario!

Luffy clears his throat and tries, using the voice he always uses on Ace whenever his brother doesn't want to do what Luffy tells him to do, "Y-yeah, it was... painful. Yes, painful. That's the word. Painful."

"Where do you live? Do you have a roof over your head? Or are you going to tell me you've been aimlessly traveling around on your own, with no money and food?"

Luffy has to think really hard to find a solution for that question. Seeing where this question is going, the human will probably ask if he wants to live with them from today on. There is no way that that is going to happen. He has his family, in his comfortable cave. He won't leave them.

They probably won't let him go either and since they are harder to lie to, Luffy sees no other choice than to wildly shake his head, exclaiming in a loud voice just to convince the man even more, "No! I live in the forest! I really like it there, so I am okay!"

Technically it isn't a lie but for a situation like this, Luffy likes to pretend it is.

The human looks skeptical, almost as if he doesn't want to leave Luffy behind in the forest. Perhaps it are his parenting senses that start tingling but Luffy honestly doesn't care. As long as he can stay in the forest, away from the village, he'll be fine.

"Luffy! Are you insane?! Werewolves may have been killed, but there is no saying they really are gone. For all we know, they are still creeping around, looking for their next pray. They will kill you once they see you!" Usopp speaks up, running up to Luffy.

The dark-haired wolf clenches his teeth and can't stop himself from hissing, "They won't kill me."

Usopp stops his fussing and gives Luffy a conflicted glance as he asks, "What?"

Luffy blinks really fast for a moment before he waves his hands in front of his face, saying with his widest grin on his face, "You said they were gone, right? What can kill when it isn't even there?" He starts chuckling in the most awkward fashion ever and for a moment, Usopp seems to be getting suspicious of him.

That quickly fades away though and he sighs, running one hand through his curly hair. He shares a look with his father and says, "What you need, is more than one friend. You've met those crazy guys in the bar, right? Let me give you a proper introduction then! They are all working, but I'm sure they won't mind me. As a matter of fact, let's go now!"

Luffy's eyes start to sparkle and he asks, his fingers curling up into tiny fists, "Are you talking about the witch and the one-eyed green head – I mean, Zoro?!"

"She is so going to hate you calling her that." Usopp moans, clearly regretting not telling Luffy the girl's real name. Luffy is fine with it, the witch nickname is one that he has been using ever since knowing it exists and it has grown on him.

It also sounds funny, which seems to be an ongoing trend among the humans. So far, all of them are funny. He hasn't met a single human yet who is as bad-ass as Ace or as cunning as Sabo. None of them add up to the coolness factor that his brothers, and quite frankly the whole pack, have in them.

They've set high standards for the humans and so far, none of them are getting close to his family.

What else could Luffy have expected. Of course the silly humans are not as good as his pack. They are the best in the world, in everything.

No human will ever top that, let alone come close to it.

Luffy chuckles and starts walking straight forward, not waiting for Usopp. He throws his arms behind his head and looks around, once again fascinated by the humans' architecture and style. It's funny, how different they are from his pack. Nothing is the same.

He may look like Usopp now, but that will forever be the only thing that connects them. Luffy has a strong will to change that and by the way Usopp is running up to him, not at all scared looking or even slightly afraid, he might be able to do it as well.

* * *

Sanji's eyes almost pop out of their respective sockets when Usopp walks in with an all too familiar companion glued to his side. He is standing at a table, taking the order of some middle aged block but instead of looking at him and listening to whatever it is that he wants of their menu, Sanji's vision is solely focused on the black haired male, whose name is resting on the tip of his tongue. Whenever Usopp mentions the name he automatically knows who it is but now that he has to think of it himself, it's like his memory is slowly starting to fade.

Sanji is not going to beat himself up over something as small as that. He never bothers to remember the names of people he only meets once. Let the ladies be an exception but low-brained lads such as... Luffy, _that is his damn name_ , are not even worth remembering anything of.

Luffy seems to be taking in the restaurant with pure awe, walking ahead of Usopp with a fast pace as he looks around him. Sanji flinches when Luffy walks into a table, nearly knocking over a glass of water. To the blonde's surprise, he has fast reflexes and catches the glass before it hits the table, but it doesn't make it any less excusable. He doesn't even apologize for it, just showing a stupid grin to the two ladies at the table before running ahead to very likely cause more trouble.

Sanji gapes at him with narrowed eyes before directing them to his friend, who at first seems to be doing absolutely nothing to stop this madness but after a moment of a frozen state, Usopp wakes up and runs after Luffy in full on panic mode.

"For fuck's sake." Sanji mutters, causing his customer to look up at him shock. Sanji shows him his most polite smile before apologizing, though his tone not even close to when he talks to Nami, "I'm sorry sir, this is going to take a moment. Patty! Come here and help this man!"

Patty, a muscular man with rather hairy arms, peeks with his head around the door that leads to the kitchen and shouts, "What the hell do I look like to you, huh?! I'm a damn cook!"

"And we're fucking busy. You either do it or I'll tell dad about your little 'mistake' from last week." Sanji retorts, leaning on the table with one hand while one of his eyebrows goes up. Patty growls at him, knowing exactly what he is talking about, and with a very grumpy face he leaves the kitchen. He walks up to Sanji but doesn't let him leave without a hard slap on the back. He also pulls him close by grabbing the shoulder and hisses into his ear, "You, damn brat, are lucky daddy is the big boss. I would have beat your ass already if it wasn't for that."

Sanji doesn't look impressed, used to the way he and Patty communicate. The whole staff loves each other like family, of course they do. Especially Sanji. He grew up with them around and he can't remember a time that they weren't here. When his mother left Zeff, it was Patty who was always there to cheer him up.

However, both of them are very bad at showing emotions and the way they handle that, is by constantly picking a fight with each other and pissing each other off.

Today is just like any other day.

Sanji opts to show him a half-assed smile instead of barking something sarcastic back. He walks away from Patty in almost slow-motion before he dumps his notepad on the first table that he comes across and basically races across the restaurant to catch up with Usopp, who has managed to grab Luffy before said guy could reach for the chocolate bars that are displayed in a glassed bowl.

"... damn it, Luffy. You can't just do that! This is a respectable restaurant where people come to eat and enjoy their time together. I don't think they were hoping for a little boy like you to disrupt their dining!"

Luffy pouts and turns his head around to face Usopp, saying, "But how could I have known that, long-nose~? I've never seen such a pretty place, I want to explore it!"

Sanji's eye starts to twitch and he clears his throat, making his presence known. With a very elegant turn, Usopp moves around, Luffy still in his arms. He stares at Sanji as he has been caught red handed and he exclaims, "S-Sanji! There you are! I was looking for you!"

"Sanji? Is that your name?" Luffy questions, looking up at Sanji with way too innocent eyes. Sanji resists the urge to say something snarky and just mutters, "The one and only. What are you doing here? I though you left the village."

"I did, but I came back for a little bit. Usopp wanted to introduce me to his friends so here I am! But don't worry, I've got somewhere else I need to go so it won't take long." Luffy bluntly explains, looking thoroughly satisfied with his answer. Sanji frowns at him before he moves his eyes back at Usopp, who looks very nervous and like he regrets all of his life choices.

Like he should.

Sanji crosses his arms and asks, or more demands, "Usopp, a word. Now."

He doesn't leave room for debate and Usopp knows it. Sanji doesn't wait for him to drop Luffy and walks up to the kitchen doors, swinging them up. None of the cooks look up when he walks in and Sanji is glad that they don't. It would make this whole thing a lot more awkward.

He impatiently waits for Usopp to walk in as well and the very second his friend is in the kitchen, Sanji goes off, pointing to the door as he hisses, "The hell, long nose? Why is he here? Where did he come from? Don't you remember he has absolutely no manners whatsoever?!"

Usopp immediately raises his hands as he defends himself, "Why are you being so mean, Sanji? Luffy is harmless! And mind you, he has had a very rough life and is probably still living it. Would it help to mention that he hasn't had a proper meal in like decades?"

Sanji lowers his arm and narrows his eyes at him. Such a dirty game to play, just mentioning starvation like that. Sanji doesn't like feeling hungry, since food is a very necessary asset in life, and he especially doesn't like it when other people are hungry.

All of his friends know how he feels about that. Usopp is playing tricks with him and the fool knows its working as well.

"What the hell are you talking about? Did he talk?"

"Not a word. But what else can you draw from this? He doesn't live in Foosha Village and I found him once again in the forest. There is no other way than that he lives in the woods. Also, he flinches whenever I mention anything about werewolves. And that can only mean one thing. He has either lost his whole family to werewolves or he has had another bad experience with them, causing him to be homeless and all by himself."

Usopp throws it out in one breath and though Sanji is very much edging towards the side that wants to disbelieve everything that came out of the curly haired male's mouth, it is too convincing and credible not to be true.

Sanji looks around him and gulps before he whispers, "Are you sure about that? A hundred percent sure? You dug this case down to its core I hope?"

"You can ask him yourself, if that will completely convince you. I just wanted him to meet all of my friends so that he won't feel lonely or like an outcast. That's why I brought him here. I didn't think it was going to be such a problem." Usopp answers, looking at the door with a pout. Sanji sighs and groans, "Well I didn't think that problem kid was going to have such a serious issue to deal with in his life. Where is he? He better still be at the same spot we left him or I swear to God-"

"Alright! Let's go!" Usopp cuts him off and kicks the doors open, leaving before Sanji. Sanji rolls his eyes at him and follows suit, making sure the doors won't close with a loud bang. To his greatest relief the restaurant is still one piece but Luffy is not where he is supposed to be. As a matter of fact, he is right at the door, talking to the worst person that kid could possibly be talking to.

His father is looking down on him with narrowed eyes, though the amusement can't be missed. Sanji groans out loud and snaps at Usopp, who has gone as pale as a sheet, "If this kid manages to piss of my dad, no hunger in the world is going to save his ass! Or mine for that matter!"

"How was I supposed to know he was going to chat up your dad?!"

"You seem to know his whole history, I know jack shit about him. What's your excuse?" Sanji bites back before dashing over to the two. Luffy is grinning at the man and both turn their head when they hear Sanji nearing them. Zeff straightens his back and crosses his arms, saying in his grumpy voice the very second Sanji is within ear shot, "Eggplant, care to explain why you left your friend hungry? That's not how we do it at the Baratie, let alone my only son."

Luffy waves at Sanji's gaping face and exclaims, "You're a cook! That's so awesome! I don't think I know anyone who can cook. At least, not like that!" He points at a grilled fish on a nearby plate and chuckles back at Sanji, who runs a hand through his hair before directing his gaze to his still waiting father.

"Excuse you? He just arrived. And he is _not_ my friend, he is Usopp's. I barely know him!" Sanji barks back, not being able to avoid being kicked by his father's strong leg. He yelps and shouts, "The hell, old geezer?!"

"Don't talk back to me when I'm talking about food. A friend of Usopp is a friend of yours. Ain't that right, curly head?"

Usopp has the audacity to grin at him a dirty way and says, throwing his arms behind his head, "That's write, mister Blackleg. It would be so disappointing if my friends couldn't get along with each other."

Sanji glares hard at him, hissing with a very dangerous tone, "You disgusting snitch. Wait till I'm out of here." To his greatest pleasure, all color drains away from Usopp's face and he pushes himself back up, already reaching for his much needed cigarette. His father visibly rolls his eyes at the gesture but doesn't mention it. They've had a huge fight over it after Zeff found out about the bad habit he picked up, but over time he too started to realize that Sanji is not going to stop, no matter how hard he tries to. He doesn't like it, but it is the few things he is not going to fight with his son over.

Luffy switches his gaze from Zeff to Sanji before he chuckles as he says, moving closer to Sanji, "All you humans are so funny! Shishishi, I like it here. Say, you can cook, right? Do you want to make me something? I'm hungry!"

Sanji stops fiddling with his cigarette when Luffy says 'you humans' and narrows his eyes at the boy, who has promptly shut his mouth after realizing what words just slipped out of his mouth. He looks away, suddenly very quiet. He clears his throat before he moves his head back to act as if he didn't just say such a weird thing.

 _All you humans?_

Sanji eyes Usopp, hoping to find a just as weirded out reaction. Instead, he sees Usopp sighing and clearly pretending that he didn't just hear that. His friend loudly claps his hands though, shaking Sanji out of his thoughts and he nearly drops his cigarette. Zeff immediately scolds him for almost lighting the entire restaurant on fire and Sanji turns bright red, avoiding any eye contact with Luffy and Usopp.

"Fucker! What was that for?!" Sanji hisses at Usopp, who sheepishly grins at him before he fully ignores him to grab Luffy's arm. The black haired boy moves his eyes away from gazing at Zeff's impressive mustache to look at Usopp, who says, while also eying the blonde cook, "Let's save the food for later, alright? You're in a rush but I still need you to meet all of my friends. And guess what, the witch – I mean, Nami's shop is not too far from here. Let's go there and see what to do from there."

"Witch is not her name? That's a shame, I liked it." Luffy dares to pout, promptly causing Sanji to pop a vein on his forehead. Without thinking, he grabs Luffy's collar to exclaim into his face, "Who the hell do you think you're calling a witch, you little airhead?! Don't you ever insult the ladies!"

Luffy looks taken back, looking at Usopp in a mixture of panic and confusion. Sanji doesn't know what to make out of that but he does know that Luffy is not going to disrespect any lady in his presence. Especially not his precious Nami-swan, who shall stay unharmed as long as he is around.

Usopp grins very awkwardly, having Zeff sigh in annoyance behind him. Usopp steps forward and tries to pry Sanji's fingers away from Luffy's collar, barely succeeding in it. He pulls Luffy near him and tells him, putting on hand on his shoulder, "Sanji is very.. fond of girls. I'd call it perverted but that's agree to disagree. Don't tall ill of girls when he is near. I guarantee you he will beat you up over it. Stupid love addict. Hasn't even had a proper girlfriend in like forever. Make that never. He's never been in a relationship."

Sanji turns red from growing anger but Usopp doesn't let him talk as he continues, leaning into Luffy's personal space, "He is so fond of girls, he scares them away. Not even Zoro's younger sister likes being around him. And she is a creep."

Sanji points his cigarette at his friend and threatens, "Usopp, I swear. Even though she is related to the moss head, I will not let you talk about her like that. Keep your mouth shut."

"What the hell are you talking about?! Even Zoro says she is a creep and we all know how protective he is over her!" Usopp defends himself. Sanji snorts and rolls his eyes, putting the cigarette back between his lips.

"The marimo is useless as a big brother. Perona only needs one man to defend her honor and that's me." Sanji says, with complete and utter confidence. He is _painfully_ aware of the fact that she already has two men to keep her safe but he will forever say that she needs him. Mind him, he doesn't like Zoro but he is still his friend and Sanji will not deny that he actually can be kind of a good big brother. He keeps insulting his sister but the very second he knows she is in a dangerous situation, Zoro will be by her side in a matter of seconds. Not even their father is as fast as him.

But just because Zoro gets to be her knight in shining armor doesn't mean Sanji can't be it too. He likes to think of himself as the hero of every girl's dream and that just automatically includes the marimo's lovely sister.

"You know what, this is all fun and games but we're wasting precious time. Luffy, this is Sanji and Sanji is one of my best friends. I know you'll see him more often and I know for a fact that he will be your friend too. Because Sanji is actually a really nice guy, even though he acts like a complete prick to every guy he meets." Usopp says and Luffy laughs. Sanji rolls his eyes, pushes his tongue against the inside of his mouth but can't stop a smile from growing on his lips. He blows out a little bit of smoke and says, "Whatever, curly head. I've got work to do. Say, Luffy."

The boy snaps his head at him, a curious smile resting on his face. Sanji observes it for a bit before he continues, "If you really will come back more often, I'll think about making you something to eat. If I remember correctly, you ate all that meat at Makino's like it was made out of gold. Can I safely assume you like meat?"

Luffy's eyes start to shine and he exclaims, his hands curling up into fists, "Yes! Meat is the absolute best thing in this whole wide world!"

Sanji snickers and blows out more smoke, nodding as a sign that he understands it. Luffy smiles very brightly and Usopp looks satisfied. He grabs Luffy's arm and after a short goodbye, he drags the weird boy out of the restaurant and before Sanji knows it, the doors close and he is left alone with his father again.

Zeff stares at the door for a minute before he crosses his arms to turn and look at Sanji. Sanji eyes him, just knowing what he is about to say. He puts the cigarette back into his mouth and says, "Yes, dad, yes. Fine, he seems like a good kid. Doesn't mean that he'll be a regular you know."

"Such a shame. It'd be nice to have someone like him around. He'll do you good. Come on, let's get back to work. We've got a lot to do."

Zeff pats Sanji on his back and walks off, already shouting at Patty for doing a better job at keeping the plates clean.

Sanji watches the empty spot where Luffy just stood and sighs, staring up at the door again. He licks his lips and turns around on his heels, going back to serving customers.

* * *

 **Thanks to those who are all still reading this story XD I hope you still like it! x**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello to everyone who is here once again to read my next chapter:) Enjoy!**

* * *

It doesn't take much for Luffy to be impressed, Usopp notes as he and the other walk into Franky's workspace. He meant to go to Nami first, like he already told Sanji, but somehow Luffy was starstruck at the sight of shipwrecks and decided on his own that that is where they were going to go to instead of Usopp's original plan.

Franky is a mechanic, one of the best. Usopp is not just thinking that because Franky is one of his best friends, but also because it's simply true. Franky can fix about everything and knows his way around with every tool that Usopp can think of. Franky has repaired lots of things that belong to him already and while Usopp himself isn't too bad himself at repairing anything mechanic, Franky is better and that's a fact he'll have to deal with.

Usopp sees Luffy is already ahead of him and quickly walks through the big, iron gates onto Dock One. It's a busy day it seems, as Paulie (one of the many workers and also one of Franky's closest friends) is talking to a big group of people on one side while Iceberg, a guy who Franky used to get into plenty of arguments with when they were younger (if Usopp has to believe all the stories from his blue-haired friend), is busy looking at a wagon from a seemingly important client. He is wearing a marine uniform, with plenty of medals resting on his chest.

Usopp frowns a little when he sees Luffy almost glaring at the marine before he wisely ignores the feelings and jumps around even more, successfully bumping into the man himself. Usopp sighs but knowing Franky, he won't explode the way Sanji did in the restaurant.

Franky eyes Luffy with amusement, slightly bending down since Luffy is at least two heads shorter than the mechanic. Franky is once again wearing very short shorts, even in this god forsaken cold winter weather, and all that keeps him from actually freezing to death is a thick jacket, that strongly resembles one that could have belonged to a aircraft pilot. At least, in all the books that Usopp has skimmed through at Robin's place the pilots wear brown, leather jackets with a white fur collar. It's fair to say that Franky's fur is anything but real, but it's still a very close resemblance.

Luffy is doing the exact same thing, with just as little respect as Franky. He throws his head in his neck as he forms a big 'ooh' with his lips. He keeps one hand on his precious straw hat to prevent it from falling off and sets a step back to have a better look at, what appears to be, Franky's hair. His eyes start to sparkle and he exclaims, almost jumping up and down, "You've got blue hair! That's so awesome! It's almost as blue as Buggy's hair, though not nearly as long."

"Buggy? Who's Buggy?" Usopp decides to question, finally walking up to the pair. Buggy is the first unknown name that Luffy has dropped and therefore Usopp is more than just a little curious who that might be. Or might have been, if Usopp's painful predictions are true. Luffy turns away from Franky with sudden pressed lips and he seems to think about what to say about this 'Buggy'. Franky, who is in the dark about everything, also moves his eyes up to Usopp and exclaims, with his usual loud and cheerful voice, "Usopp, my bro! How super of you to come and visit me on a wonderful day like this!"

"Wonderful?! Are you out of your mind or something? It's fucking cold out here!" Usopp snarls back, though Franky is very unfazed. He laughs merrily, successfully making both Paulie and Iceberg look at him for a moment before they decide it's nothing unusual and go back to their own matters at hand.

"Anyhow, who is the little bro you brought along with ya? A new friend? Ooh, is he new in town perhaps?!" Franky puts both his hands on his hips and stares at Luffy over Usopp's head. Luffy has promptly forgotten about Usopp's question about the foreign name and is once again looking around, not even paying any attention to Franky anymore. He is about to walk up to Paulie and while Usopp would love for him to get acquainted with everyone in Foosha Village, this is most definitely not the right time for him to meet Paulie. Usopp dashes up to his new friend, grabbing him by the back of his collar of his red vest to pull him back.

Now that Usopp thinks about it too, though it's completely unrelated to anything that's going on, Luffy isn't dressed like it's winter either. He is still sporting the simple vest, with his bare arms out like it's the middle of summer, his shorts that end just above his knees and those old looking slippers. There is no way that he isn't cold, is there?

"Luffy, there is someone I'd like you to meet. He is a friend, like Sanji." Usopp starts, deciding not to ask anything about his choice of clothing. Luffy doesn't start an argument and smiles, looking around as he asks, "Who is it?! Is he an amazing cook like Sanji as well?"

Usopp starts taking Luffy back to the amused Franky again and says, pushing the black haired male in front of him once they have reached the blue head, "Not quite. But he is good with his hands. Luffy, meet Franky. A mechanic and a good friend of mine. Of ours, I suppose. He just belongs to my very close group of friends."

Franky salutes at him and greets, "Nice to meet you, little bro. I'm Franky indeed and this, what you see around you, is my amazing work space. Hang on, aren't you the one that ate all that meat? How super to see you again!"

Luffy's eyes grow wide and they start to sparkle again as he says, completely in a daze, "Awesome... I'm Luffy! Nice to meet you too. You look just as cool as Usopp's cook friend! Also, what does a mechacat do?"

Usopp runs his hand across his face, groaning at the awful pronunciation. Luffy looks a little confused at the reaction and that only gets worse once Franky starts to laugh again. He slaps Luffy on the shoulder with his big hand and says, "Not mechacat, but mechanic. I repair and maintain anything that has to do with machines. I know my way around with difficult machinery and tools. I'm basically the cool one in our group." Usopp deadpans at him but Luffy is more than a little amazed. He is glowing from the top of his head all the way down to his bare feet. He has got his hands balled up in fist as he gapes up at Franky, who seems to enjoy the great attention he is getting.

"That's so cool! Almost like Kid! But Kid is like, totally cool. He knows _everything_ about anything machinery or technical. He can make robots out of junk!"

"Oh? Kid, you say? How fascinating. I'd like to meet that 'Kid' one day, if what you say is true. I'm the best mechanic there is in the world, there is no way he is better than me." Franky says, only half joking. Luffy seems to take it serious though and exclaims, raising one fist to make his point even clearer, "Hell no! Kid is the absolute best and there is no one who can beat him! But you can't meet him though."

"And why not, if I may ask?"

"Just because. You can't meet him." Luffy answers, with a quick shrug. Usopp shakes his head and feels that his prediction about Luffy's awfully sad life might actually be sadder than he thought it would be. Not only has he lost his entire family to werewolves, now he is talking about them like they are still around! Or even worse, he is fantasizing about characters that he made up to not feel lonely!

This is just too painful to be true.

Usopp sees Franky's conflicted glance and decides he should tell him about Luffy before anything else. Therefore, he walks forward and grabs Franky's arm, trying to drag him backwards. However, Franky is a lot more muscular than he is and Usopp can't do it at all. Franky grins at him and getting the hint, he pulls his arm away from Usopp's small hands and follows him himself. Luffy is once again left on his own and pouts a little.

Usopp knows from everything that happened at the Baratie that it is very likely for Luffy to cause more trouble once he is on his own but there is also no way that he is going to spill all the beans right in front of him. It could very easily trigger some painful memories and Usopp is not going to be the one to make Luffy feel like crap.

* * *

"Hmm."

Luffy hums to himself, crossing his arms as he tilts his head to the side. Why does Usopp leave him all on his own all the time? Did he do something wrong? For as far as he knows, he listens to all the rules that the long nosed human told him to follow. He hasn't broken any glasses yet nor has he scared a human off. It is all going very smoothly, if he must say so himself. At least, according to his brothers' logic everything is going just fine. He snickers a little, thinking back about the advice that they gave him after he broke almost all of Kureha's bottles.

" _Listen, there is one thing that you need to remember and carry with you for the rest of the life. Eyes up here, little brother."_

 _Luffy tears his gaze away from Kureha, who is as calmly as she can explaining the whole situation to Roger. Both his parents are there and his mother looks so sorry that it makes Luffy's heart ache. His father just looks like he was waiting for something like this happen, which makes it even more painful._

 _He looks up at his two older brothers who, with their fourteen years of age, are both very smart and cool people who are perfectly capable of seeing right or wrong apart from each other._

 _Ace doesn't look remotely cross with him. As a matter of fact, his oldest brother looks amused by the chaos and while Sabo is clearly trying to hide it, there is no denying that he too sees the fun in what Luffy has just done._

" _What is it?" The twelve-year-old wolf asks, his voice a little more quiet than usual. Ace reaches out his hand to ruffle Luffy's hair and pulls him in between him and Sabo, keeping on hand on his shoulder. Sabo does the same thing and tells him, talking for both himself and his older twin brother, "Causing mischief is just fine, but you have to know this: as long as there is no one harmed in the process or anything broken, you're good to go. I mean, you can steal someone's bag as a joke or, like Ace always does to Cavendish,-"_

" _Cabbage?"_

 _Ace chuckles, "Yes, Luffy. Cabbage is the one Sabo is talking about."_

" _Like I said," Sabo continues, "Ace always nicks Cavendish's hat and precious boots. But does it harm anyone? No, of course not. That's just fine. We can do that all day. But don't harm anyone. Just keep that in mind."_

 _Luffy looks determined and repeats to himself, in a softer voice but just loud enough for the twins to hear it, "Yosh. Don't harm anyone. Don't break anything. Than I'm good to go."_

 _Ace chuckles and puts his hand on top of Luffy's head again._

" _Well said, little one. Than you're good to go indeed."_

"Don't harm anyone, don't break anything. Well then, I'm good to go." Luffy tells himself again, chuckling as he goes. He stares at Usopp and Franky, who all of a sudden bursts out in tears. Luffy flutters with eyes, not sure what he is seeing. Why is the blue-haired human crying? Did Usopp hurt his feelings or something? No, that can't be it. Usopp looks more annoyed than sorry. Luffy thinks for a good minute. Why would a human cry? That's actually a pretty good question, if he says so himself.

He hums again, thinking about the times any of his family members cried. There aren't many. He once saw Ace crying, but he was hiding in one of the many dark alleys that have formed between the small stone buildings on the ground of their cave. It was clear as daylight that he didn't want anyone to see him, even Luffy realized that. But Luffy knew why his older brother was crying.

He was in pain.

It was a couple of days after he was rescued from the awful humans who had kidnapped him. Ace was always acting like he didn't care about what had happened to him but after seeing him cry like that, Luffy knew that he _did_ care and it broke his heart, seeing his cool older brother sob like that. He made sure to be extra nice to him after that night and Ace didn't notice a thing.

Does Franky look like he is in pain? Not really, Luffy decides and starts going down the list again. He thinks about Chopper, who actually doesn't need much to start the waterworks. He cries when he starts to panic (which in Luffy's honest opinion always looks kind of funny), he cries when he gets very frustrated, he cries when nobody listens to him and he even cried after Law got angry at him. It was the very first time their friend got angry with him and automatically, the very last time as well. Law may look like he has no heart, but of course Law is a big softie when it comes to the pack.

Luffy chuckles. His family is the best thing in his life. It might be the only thing that keeps him going every day but the black wolf is perfectly fine with that.

Has Sabo ever cried? Well, he once cried because he had fallen down one of the stairs. But he was very young back then and Luffy only knows about it because Ace told him, when he was in a very cheerful mood. It didn't humor Sabo though, who got mad at his twin brother for telling Luffy about the one time he cried.

Luffy has ran out of options and decides Franky cries for no reason. Why would humans cry in the first place? They've got everything anyone could ever wish for! Just walking around in the village makes Luffy think about how little his cave and family actually has. They don't have big homes, a cool restaurant or an amazing-looking work place like this. All they have, is a big cave with several carved-in homes and lots of wooden houses, all up in the air by strong wooden constructions.

But Luffy is not complaining at all. He loves everything they own. He doesn't need much to be happy. As long as his family are near, and preferably meat as well, he is content as one can be.

Though, Kid would probably love this place. Shanks would gladly give him this as well, now that Luffy thinks about it with a smile. Shanks loves Kid like his own son and while Kid always ignores him, Luffy knows that Kid loves Shanks like a father. After all, it was Shanks who took Kid in after he had no one else to look after him. Kid was already with Shanks by the time Luffy was born so he can't even imagine anything else.

Luffy sighs, getting bored from all the waiting he has to do. Turning away from Usopp and Franky, Luffy lets his eyes wander over the Dock. He looks at all the different humans, not one the same. There are big iron plates laying in one corner and weird looking pipes in the other. It almost looks like a neater version of the Terminal, where Kid gets all of his stuff. He once took Luffy there, when he was eight. His best friend Coby joined them, though a lot less excited than Luffy was at the time. Luffy's stomach curls at the thought of Coby. His pink-haired best friend was someone who can never be replaced. He was the complete opposite of him yet so similar. Both fascinated by the human nature and always wanting to discover more about them.

Coby got himself killed over it.

Luffy hates thinking about Coby. It makes him relive memories that he doesn't want to relive. He doesn't want to be reminded of the fact that humans, just like these, just like Usopp and Sanji and Franky, killed his best friend. He has faith in the human race, he really does. The murder of his best friend has made it fade a little but he wants to keep going for Coby. His friend always wanted to know so much about the humans and Luffy will make sure that he'll discover all there is to discover about humans. One day he'll see Coby again and then he can tell him all about them.

For now, Luffy tries to forget about how much he misses his best friend and with his biggest smile on his face, he continues his curious gaze.

When they land on the entrance, Luffy's eyes start to sparkle once again and the smile becomes genuine at the sight of the familiar green head. The guy is accompanied by a girl with bright orange hair, that Luffy recognizes. She is Witch!

This is fantastic, now he has someone else to talk to while Usopp is busy calming down Franky.

Without a second thought, Luffy skips over to the two and he chuckles when the both of them look like they've just seen a ghost at the mere sight of him. He puts his hands behind his head and looks at them, greeting with a big grin, "Hello!"

"The hell you're doing here?!" Zoro exclaims, narrowing his eyes at Luffy. Witch is gaping at him, not saying anything at all. Luffy laughs and answers, pointing at Usopp, "Long-nose brought me here. Wanted me to meet all of his friends."  
"Of course. Who else would it have been? Fucking Usopp, sticking that long nose of his in other people's life just like that." Witch sneers, crossing her arms as she shakes her head at Usopp. Luffy closes one eye and points at Zoro, saying with confidence, "Zoro."

"That appears to be my name, yeah." Zoro dryly comments, getting Luffy to smile. He moves his finger to Witch and says, with just as much confidence, "Witch."

It is all it takes for Zoro to burst out in laughter, putting both his hands on his stomach as he bends forward, never having laughed so hard. Luffy doesn't understand it though and slightly tilts his head, slowly lowering his finger, as he stares at Witch. She is turning bright red and her hand is balling up in a fist. Before Luffy knows it, the fist connects with his skull and he is slammed against the sand with a force that could easily match Ace's.

"Fucking damn you! You punk! That is not my name! Which bastard told you to call me that?!" Nami shouts at him, still holding the fist up in the air. Luffy pushes himself up and lets himself sit on the ground, wiping the sand of his face. He looks up at Witch and whines, "What?! Usopp never gave me another name to call you! It's not your real name?"

"USOPP!" Nami screeches, throwing both her hands up the air. Luffy turns his head around and sees Usopp go pale, wasting no time in pushing Franky in front of him as he comes closer, automatically taking Franky with him. Luffy is completely lost but lets Zoro pull him back on his feet. Zoro chuckles and points at Witch with his thumb, saying, "I wouldn't be calling her that again, if I were you. She doesn't like it when people do that. Trust me, I know from experience."

"You call her that too?"

"All the dame time. The witch can't take a little joke." Zoro says, promptly getting hit himself as well. He immediately reaches for his head and exclaims, "Damn you! What did you do that for?!"

"Don't you even dare question why I did that. Asshole. And you!" Witch points at Usopp and strides over to him, walking around Franky with a very angry face. She drags Usopp away from the blue-haired mechanic and shouts at him, frantically pointing at Luffy, "The hell have you been teaching this boy?! You tell him everyone's real names but me?! This is bullying, fucking rat!"

"Oi, oi, oi! Don't get so cross with me! I never told him to call you that! He must have picked up the nickname somehow, but it wasn't me!" Usopp exclaims, raising both his hands as he looks like he is about to start crying. Luffy wipes away some of the dirt from his clothes and puts both his hands on his hips, pointing out, "Long nose called you that, the day I found you all in the forest. He already told me that's not your real name but I don't know what else to call you."

"Nami. N.A.M.I. _Nami_. It's a very easy, four-letter word that you should never forget. Luffy, right?" Witch speaks up, letting go of Usopp and basically dropping him on the ground. Usopp lets out a couple of very painful sounds and glares up at Nami, who ignores them with such ease that it makes Luffy wonder how often she manages to avoid any trouble.

"Nami. Alright, I can work with that. Though, I really liked witch. Too bad you don't like that name." Luffy pouts and Nami is about to hit him again when Zoro quickly grabs her arm to stop her from planting another fist into Luffy's skull. He shakes his head and looks at Luffy, asking, "Anyway, where did you come from now? Did Usopp drag you out of the forest again or something?"

Nami holds up her hands, quieting everyone around them and eyes Luffy is light shock as he asks, "Hang on a second. You live in the forest?" Luffy looks at her as if she has lost her mind and answers, "Of course I live there. Where else would I live?" It sounds so easy but somehow the humans don't get it. She gapes at him in full on shock right now and snaps her head back to Usopp to hiss, "Why does he live in the forest and not in the village? Where are his parents? Any other relatives? Is he really all on his own?"

Suddenly, Franky breaks out in tears again and exclaims, keeping one arm over his eyes, "It's so sad, Nami, sis! Usopp just told me his tragic story and I just can't stop crying! Poor Luffy bro has lost his entire family to werewolves and has come here all on his own, after traveling alone and hungry for probably months! He has nowhere to go! The world can be so cruel!"

Zoro's only eye twitches a little before he looks at Luffy, who doesn't correct Franky. So that's what Usopp has been telling him and Sanji. Luffy has already decided that whatever Usopp decides to tell his friends is going to be the truth. He can't tell any of them that the werewolves didn't kill his family but that they _are_ his family. He wants to believe that they won't be angry at him for being a werewolf, but his whole pack always tells each other to be careful. And Coby didn't even have to say anything to be killed. Just one look was all it took for the humans to take his life.

Luffy swallows away the big lump that grows in his throat and ignores the pain in his stomach. He'll let the humans believe he is just like them for as long as he can. Only when he has no other choice, he'll show them the truth. He'll even keep his words inside when they are badmouthing his family. Because that appears to be very normal for the humans in this village. None of it is true, but it is not Luffy's place to say anything about it.

If he does, he'll give away all of his secrets and that's not something he needs to do.

"Really? Is that why you were so hungry? You hadn't eaten for months?" Zoro asks, surprisingly smart. Luffy rubs some non-existent itch away from his cheek and nods, saying in a high pitched voice, "Y-yeah. That's right. My, eh, my poor stomach needed meat to survive another day."

Nami steps over to him and puts a hand on his shoulder, though rather carefully. She looks at him with pity, that Luffy doesn't need, and says, "I'm sorry, Luffy. None of that should have happened to you. Werewolves are nothing but monsters. One of them attacked my mother a while ago but thank god the hunters killed him just in time. I am so sorry they weren't on time to save your family."

Luffy doesn't answer and looks away, his gaze darkened at her words. Ace was right. Humans think of them as nothing but monsters. Why must the wolf always be the bad one, in every story? They've done nothing wrong. Why is she so glad that hunters killed the wolf that 'attacked' her mother? The wolf was most likely innocent. Werewolves don't blindly attack humans, they just don't. Those who do, are not part of the real werewolf clan if he must believe his father. Werewolves are creatures that like their privacy and don't attack families. Werewolves know how much family means and won't attack humans.

Family is important and even humans are worthy enough to not have their families ripped apart. Even Ace agrees to that, but mostly because he doesn't want anything to do with the humans. It's only natural for him to not harm any of them.

"See, what did I tell you? Don't mention anything of that attack in his presence! Can't you see it brings back painful memories?! Shut up about it!"

Usopp's sharp hiss cuts through the air and Nami immediately pulls her hand back from Luffy's shoulder. She looks at him with a slight pout and mutters, "I'm sorry." Luffy turns his head back to look at her and grins widely, pushing away the awful thoughts that started to cloud his mind.

"No worries! We shouldn't think too much about what happened in the past. At least, that's what my mother always tells – told me." Luffy makes sure to say in the past tense and he almost wants to laugh at the reactions of the humans around him. Franky seems to be struggling not to start crying again and Usopp has put his hand on his heart, looking at Luffy with almost pain in his heart. Zoro doesn't say anything nor does he seem like the person to just openly show his emotions but the stern look on his face is enough for Luffy to know that he too shares the same feelings as Usopp.

Luffy tries really hard to keep his chuckle inside. It's almost funny how the humans care so much about him. They think he is a monster yet they sympathize with him. Ace should see this, maybe it would make him see that they are not all too bad.

Though, Luffy won't make him. Ace's past with the humans is one that shouldn't be repeated nor remembered as a funny little situation. Luffy will never forgive the humans that did that to Ace. And for as far as he is aware, they are the same that killed Coby. Whoever they are, they will pay the heavy price once Luffy gets his paws on them.

He will beat their asses for laying their disgusting fingers on his brother and friend.

"You're surprisingly positive, you know that right?"

Usopp starts talking to him again and Luffy chuckles a little, not holding back this time. He looks up at his new friend and crosses his arms as he declares, "I don't have time to think about the bad things in life. I have other things to do."

Franky finally manages to laugh and he moves closer to pat Luffy on his shoulder, saying, "Luffy bro is pretty super! I'll take it that you'll come and hang out with us more often?"

"Of course he will. Why else would I have brought him here in the first place?" Usopp asks, almost offended. Franky cackles and shakes his head at the curly head. A new voice shouts Franky's name and with a curious glance, Luffy looks around the blue-haired male. He finds another human standing a little further from them, with a cigarette almost as thick as Crocodile's between his lips. His blond hair is combed back, a pair of goggles on top. He is wearing a blue jacket with a yellow shirt underneath it. His hands are warmly tucked into gloves, that he has placed right next to his mouth as he repeats, "Oi, Franky! Get over here! You've got work to do!"

"Coming, Paulie! Don't be so impatient!" Franky shouts back before he grins at Luffy. He pats the younger one on his head and says, "Make sure to be there when we hang out again. I'd be super if you were there too."

Luffy nods, though not really sure how he is going to pull that off. His brothers don't want him going here, his parents are totally going to flip if they ever find out what he has been doing these last couple of days and the pack... the pack is going to be very cross with him. Not a single werewolf is allowed here, as long as your name isn't Shanks or Benn. If they ever find out, Luffy is going to be in a lot of trouble.

But they won't find out, so he'll be fine.

Franky grins and looks up at his friends, saying his goodbyes as well. Nami makes him stop though, reaching out her hand as she exclaims, "Hang on a second, Franky! Zoro and I didn't come here for no reason! My waver broke and I need you to fix it for me."

Franky frowns, looking around him but seeing no waver. Zoro rolls his eyes and walks back to the streets. He drags a cool looking vehicle onto the Dock and says, throwing a look over his shoulder, "It's over here. The motor stopped working. Nami has been too busy with it, I swear."

"Shut the hell up. Please, Franky. I need it to make my delivery rounds." Nami almost pouts and Luffy tilts his head to the side, asking, "Delivery rounds?"

Nami sighs, grabbing the waver as she answers, "My mother owns a grocery store. Some times people can't come and get their groceries so I deliver them. This waver makes it a lot easier but now it's broken and I refuse to do anything without it."

"Don't start whining now, Nami. Give it to me, I'll see what I can do." Franky cuts her short and takes over the waver. He waves at Luffy, who watches him walk away with big, curious eyes. Nami rolls hers and runs after Franky, just to make sure he won't do anything to destroy her precious waver. Zoro is left behind but doesn't seem to mind. He stretches and yawns, "My job is done. I'll be going back to the workshop."

"Workshop?"

Zoro nods and answers, almost with pride in his voice, "Dad is blacksmith. It's pretty cool."

"Awesome!" Luffy exclaims, catching Zoro off guard. He redeems himself and snickers. He looks at both Luffy and Usopp and announces, already walking backwards, "I guess I'll be seeing you more often. Usopp, don't bother me after Luffy left. I don't need you burning off your fingers again."

"That was one fucking time! Let it go!" Usopp shouts but Zoro ignores him and turns around, walking away while whistling a song that Luffy doesn't know. Usopp groans and says, grabbing Luffy's arm to walk after Zoro, though in a different direction, "You still need to meet my last two friends, so let's do that. Do you still have time?"

Luffy wants to say that he doesn't, but he smiles and nods.

"Yeah. Sure. Let's go."

* * *

 **This may have been a little boring, but I just want these introductions out of the way XD But don't worry, next chapter I'll go back to Sabo and Ace's story line;)**

 **Thanks for all the reviews I've gotten so far, by the way! I believe I have answered them all but if not, I'm so sorry! I try to reply to all of my reviews but I'm never sure whether or not I've answered some.. Anyhow, I appreciate every review and follow and favourite my story gets:) Thanks for reading and hopefully until next chapter! xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Enjoy:) x**

* * *

Sabo is walking through the by now very busy streets, keeping a low profile. He has got his hat covering half of his face and he makes as little eye contact as he can. With confident steps, the blonde wolf strides through the village but while he doesn't meet the eyes of anyone who all but glances at him, he does keep track of all that is going on around him. He lets his eyes linger on all the food displayed in racks outside shops, at the little children who are running around with wooden sticks and some with dolls.

Sabo smiles a little at the sight of them. They remind him of Luffy and Ace. When they were little cubs, the three of them always used to taunt each other with sticks and other toys their father made for them out of anything he could find in the forest. Shanks did the same for Kid, which is where the younger red wolf learnt how to build basically anything out of scratch.

He can't deny that he misses the time where they were just three innocent small children, without a care in the world. After Ace got kidnapped and Coby got killed, they faced reality for the first time and it hit him like a brick. Sabo has basically been forced to grow up fast because if he didn't it would have easily been his death. Being a cub in a world like this is dangerous, which is why they don't have much time to be children.

Sabo envies the human cubs for that small fact. They can be reckless and careless for the rest of their lives if they will, they don't have to grow up fast in order to survive the harsh reality that is called world.

He sighs and looks up at sky, watching the birds fly by one by one. Luffy must be seeing these birds right now as well. Sabo groans and looks down again, being reminded of the fact that he still hasn't found his little brother. He is starting to worry. Luffy can be capable on his own but that doesn't change the very daunting fact that it's day and that the humans are fully awake. He too is walking on dangerous grounds right now but Sabo just happens to be two years older than Luffy. Two years older and two years wiser. Well, in Luffy's case, about ten years wiser but that thought makes him even more nauseous.

Whatever it is, Luffy is out here on his own and Sabo needs to bring him back before anything happens and before their parents notice he has been gone for far too long. At this time of day, Luffy would usually be playing with Chopper inside the cave and their mother knows that. If she doesn't see Luffy and Chopper together, she will worry. Because that's how she is. Once something is just slightly different than usual, her mother senses will start tingling and not a single one of the three brothers will be spared.

Rouge is a very sweet wolf, who is as friendly as a wolf can be. She is a caring mother and a loving mother. Sabo adores her and he knows his brothers also love her very much. However, once she starts thinking that one of her boys is in a dangerous situation or not where they are supposed to be at, she'll turn into a over-protective mother who will destroy anything that is in her path. She'll be just like any other animal mother: an aggressive, teeth-baring mother who will stand over her cubs to shield them from harm.

When Luffy fell out of a tree, just three years old, she wouldn't even let their father get near him. It was pretty hilarious seeing how depressed Roger looked after his wife's rejection but it was just a little taste of what she really is while in protection mode. After Ace got kidnapped, she was a big mess but very ready to join the male wolves to go and get him back. And Sabo is sure that if she was allowed to go, she would have killed every single human that was near Ace.

Sabo wants to ruffle his hair back in place but he can't take off his hat so he settles for just pushing away a couple of strands of hair out of his vision. He licks his lips and adjusts his long, black coat. Sabo looks around him and wants to walk forward when out of nowhere, a body collides with his. Sabo has good reflexes and manages to stay up straight and whoever it is that just walked into him, seems to be on the same page.

The blonde looks up at the human who dared to walk into him and he is surprised when he has to actually look up. It is a very chubby man, wearing clothes that look like they went through a lot. He has at least three guns tucked away in his yellow belt and in his right hand is a big bottle of some sort of alcohol. The man opens his mouth at him and Sabo immediately notes the amount of teeth this human misses.

The human raises the bottle and slurs, directing the angry voice at Sabo as he narrows his eyes at him, "Oi! Little kid! Why are you in my way?! Don't you know who I am?"

Sabo immediately dislikes him.

Who the hell does this human think he is, talking to him like that? Werewolf or not, Sabo has rights too and he is not going to let this fat human-being talk him down like that. Therefore, he straightens his back and answers, holding his hat in place, "I'm afraid I don't, _sir._ But whoever you may be, you should have watched where you were going."

"Haah?! Do you even know what the hell you are saying, _kiddo_? I suppose that you don't know who I am, considering your age. Then let me tell who I am, before I'll show you that you should respect me like everybody else in this lovely village does." the human sneers at him and reaches his hand out to grab Sabo. The blonde, ready to lash out if this human tries to lay his fingers on him, stands back and is about to hold up his hands when another body appears on his side. It is a large figure again, but definitely less scary looking.

In one way or another.

The man (or woman, Sabo isn't too sure) has bright, purple hair and is wearing bright pink boots. His eyelashes are pretty big and he appears to be wearing lipstick.

The figure places himself behind Sabo and it doesn't take long before the asshole-human sneers at him, snapping, "If it isn't Ivankov himself. The hell are you still doing here, traitor?"

A loud laugh cuts through the air, making Sabo slightly flinch. He turns around to look at 'Ivankov', who says, with a creepy looking smile on his face, "Traitor? Who is the traitor here? You have absolutely no rights to be calling me that, after leaving these... poor people on their devices for nine damn years. Not that there is anything they need protection from, but I'm just saying."

"I can't believe you and your dumb people are still on about that. I don't understand you, you know that? Nobody in this village is on your side, aside from the old geezer and his blind followers. I don't see the point of you still being here."

"Very simple. As long as you and your little buddies keep up this act and make these people so darn hateful against such innocent creatures, we have work to do." Ivankov bites back, confusing Sabo. They go back and forth like some type of game, leaving Sabo in the dark. The black-haired male snorts loudly after hearing that but seems to have enough of their word game. He takes a big sip from his alcohol and after an aggressive wipe, he says, already walking away, "Whatever floats your boat, big guy. Whatever floats your boat. Just know that we have already won this game."

 _What fucking game is he talking about?_

Ivankov rolls his eyes the very second the man is gone and speaks up, looking down at Sabo, "I'm terribly sorry you had to hear that, boy. But, I have no business with you so I'll be leaving you on your own devices now." Sabo frowns at those words and gapes when Ivankov actually turns around to disappear into a nearby alley. Sabo carefully looks around him, noticing how not a single human has paid attention to Ivankov. He narrows his eyes at each and every one of them before he decides that he can't let this slide without getting involved himself.

Ace will be pissed at him if he ever finds out that Sabo willingly sticks his nose into human business but Sabo couldn't care less about what his twin brother thinks. It's dangerous business, but Sabo knows what he is doing. Unlike Luffy, he is actually capable of coming up with believable lies and staying mysterious. There is no doubt that whoever Luffy is with is suspecting him of something but Sabo knows he is able to get away with about everything.

After looking around him one last time, just to make sure no one is looking at him weirdly, Sabo pulls his hat and walks towards the alley. Without a second thought, he sets foot into the dark and to his weird pleasure, he hears a shriek and finds Ivankov standing in the corner, looking frozen and shocked to the core. Sabo smirks and walks a little closer. He stops once Ivankov hisses, "Oi. Boy. Why did you follow me? Shouldn't you be going back to your mother right now?"

Sabo grins at the ground, probably creeping out Ivan, and says in a hushed voice, "I have indeed somewhere else I need to be, but that's not the matter at hand I'm afraid. There is something I need to ask you."

Ivankov is taken back by his polite tone and turns around, straightening his back as he speaks up, with yet again a hiss, "What is it?"

"Who are you? What was that odd argument just about?"

Ivankov frowns at him, suddenly walking closer to him. Out of pure instinct, Sabo sets a couple of steps back but he keeps his eyes focused on the tall man in front of him. He looks up at Ivan and slightly narrows his eyes at the surprised expression on his face.

"It seems that you are new here. You really don't have a clue on what that was about?" Ivankov asks, bending down to look Sabo straight in the eye. He avoids direct eye contact but answers, "I am not from this particular place, if that's what you're referring to. And no, I do not have a 'clue' on what's going on here."

Ivankov looks at him as if he is joking (which he really isn't) and throws a couple of glances over both his shoulders before he puts his hand on Sabo's shoulder, leaning in to say, holding up one finger that he wiggles in front of Sabo's cautious eyes, "Here's what I can tell you, boy. As you probably are aware of, werewolves aren't liked very much around here. Matter of fact, they are not liked at all, anywhere on this planet."

Sabo has to keep a growl inside. Of course he knows.

"However," Ivankov continues, tossing one last look over Sabo's shoulder just to make sure nobody hears the both of them, "I'm not like other people. I have a strong feeling that you are though. Knowing how the old tales work, there is no doubt that your parents have told you countless of times not to go into the forest and to always shout for the hunters if you were to meet the eyes of a 'drooling monster'. Ain't that right?"

It sounds like Ivankov gives Sabo the chance to reply but just when Sabo is about to do that, the older continues, leaning in even closer. Sabo hates every single second of it, not enjoying a human leaning into his personal space. To not cause too much suspicion, he lets the human do as he pleases but it doesn't change the caution that is very obvious in the way he glares at Ivan.

"For that reason alone, I can't tell you much about what I do. Not that it would matter anyway, everyone here hates our guts as it is. But since you don't appear to have a clue on who I am, there is one sentence that will tell you everything."

"And what would that be?" Sabo asks, almost sarcastic as the man doesn't allow to say anything about the false accusations he is just throwing the blonde's way. The man has gathered all of his attention, after bluntly saying he is not like other people. Is he trying to tell him that he _doesn't_ hate werewolves? That would be a fantastic, yet frightening sign. Is this man for real or is he taking the mick out of them?

Ivankov notes the sarcasm and rolls his eyes before he says, once again using a husky voice, "Hunters can suck monkey balls."

Sabo doesn't want to snort yet he does and it comes out louder than both of them expected. Ivankov jumps back in surprise, looking Sabo up and down as if he has lost his mind. Sabo coughs loudly and raises his hand as a sign that he is doing okay. He pulls his hat back in place and looks up at the surprised Ivankov with a dark smirk.

Ivankov shows an uneasy smile at him, saying, "I don't like that look on your face, boy. What, are you going to rat me out at your parents? You can go do that, but there are more than just me. Wiping me from the map is not going to change anything."

"Oh, but I don't need you to change anything. See, there is also a thing you need to know about me." Sabo speaks, finally daring to walk closer to Ivankov. He moves his head back to actually look up at Ivankov and tells him, "It seems that we agree on something."

Ivankov frowns at him and twitches with one eye. He coughs and grins at him, not sure what the hell he is talking about. Therefore, he voices that same opinion.

"I'm not sure if I understood you correctly, kid. Because if my ears weren't lying to me, they would tell me that you seem to think the same way about the hunters as I do."

"It seems to me that your ears are right." Sabo smirks, not quite sure why he is telling the human all of this. Maybe he likes the idea of some humans not agreeing with the awful way humankind looks at his race. Maybe he likes the idea of some humans actually showing some respect to him and his family.

The idea of being accepted by humans.

Ivankov raises both his eyebrows and looks around him with a scoff. He puts his hands on his hips and gives Sabo a skeptical glance before he says, "Do you know what you're talking about, boy? I'm not so sure if your parents would be happy to hear you say that."

Sabo resists the urge to roll his eyes and crosses his arms, snapping in the most calm tone ever, "Sir, if I may, how old do you think I am to still be crying at my mother?"

"I estimated a good twelve years but it seems that I'm wrong." Ivankov bluntly answers and Sabo snorts yet again. He blows a piece of hair out of his face and answers, "You're about seven years off. Listen, sir, I do not need anyone else to tell me what to think or do. Not that anyone has ever done that, but I'm trying to make a point here. I think the same way about those hunters because they are in the wrong. I'm not the one to tell them off but clearly, you think otherwise."

"Nineteen years and already such a intelligent boy. Can't say I'm not impressed. Intrigued even. Do tell me, what made you face reality like that?"

Sabo's glare darkens and he bites back, in a silent hiss, "I asked you a question. Answer it."

Ivankov sneers and lets out a dry chuckle. He rolls his eyes and mutters under his breath, "Rude ass brat." He runs a hand through the thick purple curls on top of his head and answers, pulling Sabo a little closer towards the dark corner in the alley, "I am not supposed to talk about this, but you don't seem to tell me lies. Therefore, I shall place some trust in you and tell you what I do. It's not that much of a secret anyway, but there are certain things that I cannot tell you about. So don't ask questions that won't be answered."

Ivankov keeps quiet for a moment before he continues, "I'm part of the Revolutionary Army. What is that, you ask? Simple. We are an organization that stands up for the rights of creatures such as werewolves. We don't believe in the dumb folk tales that have been spread around like a wildfire these last couple of centuries. Not at all. What we do is basically sabotage and prevent hunters from doing their job. It's not the most legal way, but it is the only way. Nobody outside our rather small organization shares our ideals and is therefore not willing to help us out. We have to work with what we've got."

Sabo doesn't say anything to that. His mind is running wild at all the things that Ivankov is telling him about. How do none of the werewolves know about the Revolutionary Army? Surely at least one of them must know. Shanks most likely. But whatever it is, Sabo is very surprised by this news. There is a group of humans out there, who are voluntarily protecting them, who willingly go up against the mainstream thoughts and rebel against all the humans' ideals and fucked up ideas.

How that's possible is a question that lingers in the back of Sabo's head. Humans hate them like it's their second nature. There is absolutely no doubt that they've shared those thoughts during their childhood but whatever it was that made them change their mind and create this organization, Sabo is grateful for it.

Humans that defend them.

That is a tale too good to be true.

Sabo crosses his arms and tries to keep his face as stoic as possible. The emotions that are going through his mind are not shown at all as he asks, "You are speaking up against all that has been done against... werewolves? What's the catch? Someone paying you big money? Are you trying to save them to all kill them in one go?"

"The fuck, boy?! How dare you make such accusations against us! You have to trust me on my word like I trust you on yours. The reason why our boss has created the Revolutionary Army is because he thinks all that people do against werewolves is injustice. He doesn't believe they are the source of evil, not at all. He doesn't agree on anything the tales say. We are fighting for equal rights because the government doesn't do that. We are the ones doing all the work."

Sabo keeps quiet again, letting those words sink in. It's just difficult to believe that a bunch of humans are actually willing to defend them, even if it meant turning into complete outcasts in their own villages and being made fools of. Because they definitely are, judging by the way that man called Ivankov a traitor.

"I suppose that's the reason that guy called you a traitor then." Sabo mutters and Ivankov lets out a sigh, running a hand across his face before answering, "My boy, that wasn't just a random man. He is a hunter. We are basically both on the other side of the fence. There is this internal war going on between us so it should not have to come as a surprise that we hate each other down to the core."

Sabo suddenly turns pale. He freezes up and gulps. This can't be fucking real. He did not just bump into a hunter and nearly started a fight with him. Out of all the humans to start a fight with, hunters are without any second thought the absolute worst. Sabo feels his heart rate go up, realizing how damn lucky he is that the man hadn't noticed a thing about him.

He could have been looking up at his killer and the thought creeps the blonde wolf out of his mind.

"A hunter. Right." is all that comes out of Sabo's mouth, looking down at the tip of his boots. Ivankov gives him a strange look before he seems to remember something. He looks up and walks around Sabo to stare at the busy street. Ivankov throws a bewildered glance over his shoulder and speaks up, in a rush, "Listen, boy. I'd love to chat a little longer with you but I have somewhere I need to be. I'll tell you what. Come here."

Sabo hesitates and Ivankov isn't having it. He wildly gestures with his hand, hissing, "Come on!"

The blonde walks forward and resists a squeak escaping from his lips when Ivankov grabs both his shoulders to pull him towards him. He tosses several glances over his shoulder before he reaches into a pocket that Sabo didn't know he had and pushes a piece of paper into his hands. Ivankov throws another glance over his shoulder and says, looking back at the bewildered Sabo, "This is the exact location of our headquarters. If you're serious about what you just told me, meet up with me at this address. Tonight. I"ll be one hell of a task, but I'll introduce you to the team. Newcomers are always welcome."

Sabo looks at the words on the paper in mild shock for a couple of seconds before he tosses his head back up to speak up, "Oi, I can't just-"

He finds himself staring into an empty alleyway with no sight of the big, purple-haired man. Sabo gapes at the spot where Ivankov just stood and one of his eyes starts to twitch. He turns back to the paper and at the realization what he just got pressed into his hands, his eyes light up and he tightly holds the paper in a balled up fist, looking up with a new-found confidence.

This is good, this is great. There is no way in hell that he is going to join the Revolutionary Army but if he can somehow find a way into the depth of the organization, he can see what they are really up to and if they really do want to protect his people.

Sabo's mere curiosity is starting to take the better of him but he is not making an end to it. No one has to know, especially not his parents. One human fanatic is bad enough, they don't need a second son who is about to spend more time on humans.

Sabo snorts, not able to believe what he is about to do. Humans are all the same yet this organization fascinates him. He is going to get to the bottom of this. On his own. He'll find a way to come here more often. Of course, he is never going to reveal himself. He needs to be careful about this, plan it out.

Make sure that Luffy doesn't follow him.

Sabo presses his lips into a thin line. His little brother. Luffy needs to be brought home right now and stay away from the village. Luffy is not going to get involved with any of them. Sabo knows what he is doing, Luffy doesn't. Luffy is getting himself stuck in a world filled with humans that don't understand the idea of werewolves having rights.

Sabo won't let that happen.

He stuffs the piece of paper into his pocket and calmly walks out of the alley. With a sneaky glare to his side, Sabo tries to spot Ivankov but the man has disappeared in thin air. How is a mystery to Sabo but he doesn't have more time to waste. He should have been searching for Luffy but instead he got sidetracked.

He can't afford to let that happen again.

Keeping that in mind, Sabo chooses the same direction he just went into and pushes his way through the crowd of people, slowly disappearing on his own.

* * *

Ace is slowly going mad. He is sat on a very sandy staircase, leading up to a path that looks like it leads the way to the beach. He has pushed himself against the wall, trying to stay out of the humans' ways. Some small children look funny at him and there have been several of the human cubs that tried to steal his hat. He thanks the mothers who were very quick with pulling away their child from him, apologizing like they were guilty of a horrible crime.

It was hilarious but Ace only managed to show the mothers the tiniest of smiles, not in the mood at all to laugh. Luffy is still gone and Sabo is nowhere to be found either. He presumes his _lovely_ twin brother is breaking a sweat, trying to find their reckless little brother. Ace himself has looked everywhere but Luffy is gone.

Does it worry him? A lot more than he would love to admit to himself.

He shouldn't have gone to that weird company and get himself distracted from the problem at hand. Ace puts his hands on top of his cowboy hat and sighs loudly, resisting the urge to growl out loud. He looks down with a scoff on his face, staring at the ants crawling around his black boots. However, the rather peaceful sight gets disrupted when out of nowhere another pair of shoes join the ants. They are not even really shoes. It are a pair of sandals and ten toes are staring right back at him.

With a jolt, Ace moves his head up and nearly falls off the stairs when he meets a familiar face, looking at him in such amusement that it makes Ace groan. He manages to keep himself up with one hand but the shock won't leave and he can't tear his eyes away from the human staring back at him.

Dark blonde hair, a lazy grin resting on his face, a large and yet strange tattoo on his chest.

What was his name again? Ace mentally goes through the countless amount of names that have been thrown at him ever since he set foot in this damned village.

 _Thatch. No, that's not it. Max? Definitely not. Marc.. Mar.. Marco._

"M-Marco." Ace stutters, cursing himself for doing so. Marco grins at him and greets, "The stranger with no name, yoi. I did not expect to find you here, on your own."

Ace scoffs and looks away from the blonde, who is carrying a big wooden box in both his hands. It looks heavy but Marco doesn't seem to be have any problems with it. Marco chuckles a little and continues, "I figured you'd be long gone."

"As you can see, I'm still here. Is there anything you want from me?" Ace snaps, not looking at the blonde human. He is staring holes through the stone wall on the other side of the small stairs and presses his lips together when Marco dares to chuckle again. Leave it to Ace to meet humans that are too optimistic.

"Not particularly. I was just on my way to deliver these guns to one of the shops, down the road, yoi. Care to join me, seeing how you are in no rush yourself?"

Ace's eye twitches and he finally looks at Marco, snapping in an annoyed voice, "Oi, I have other things to do than to run around with a complete stranger in a human village." He let it slip again and with a bright red face, Ace immediately ducks his head down. Marco is either too stupid or he pretends he hasn't heard what he just said as he speaks up, finding a better position for the box filled with guns, "Then can I ask why you are sitting on the side of the road, looking like you just lost a fight, yoi? Are you lost or something?"

"I am not – damn you, leave me to my own devices." Ace mutters, looking at his fingernails. They are covered in sand and mud and Ace swears he sees a tiny insect sniff its way around the nail on his thumb. Marco snickers at him and puts the box down, surprising the black wolf. Ace glares at him, only moving his eyes up. Marco has crossed his arms and is looking back at him as he says, his voice filled with genuine amusement, "I hit a sore spot, yoi. I see. Well then, tell me what you're looking for and maybe I can help."

"Why would I need your help? I can do this on my own!" Ace exclaims, shrinking when he sees several humans staring at him in slight concern. Marco waves them off before he says, surprisingly calm and not at all mad at him, "If you really can, than I won't bother you, yoi. Don't let me see you still sulking over here on my way back, alright? Yosh, then I'll be on my way."

Ace frowns and snaps his head up at Marco, who gathers the box and lifts it up with ease. He shortly nods at Ace and turns around to continue his way. Ace's fingers curl up into fists and he bites his lip in annoyance. He tosses several looks around him before he lets out a loud shout, immediately making Marco turn around. The blonde narrows his eyes at him and Ace glares up at him, sighing almost as loud as his shout. He slaps himself on the cheek and puts one hand on the hat as he moves himself up.

While glaring to his side, Ace walks up the still Marco, who hasn't moved a muscle and is only looking at Ace with a hidden smirk. The dark haired boy glances over at him and licks his lips, thinking about what to say without being too embarrassed of himself. He purses his lips and finally says, in a mere mutter, "A straw hat. A straw hat is all I need and I'll be out of your hair."

Marco smirks knowingly at him and nods his head, pointing with his finger into a direction as he says, "Fantastic, yoi. Let's go."

"Fucking great." Ace mumbles but still follows after Marco, making sure to stay behind the blonde and not actually next to him.

 _Luffy better be grateful. Damned fool._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and in case I don't post until after Christmas: Merry Christmas and if you don't celebrate, happy holidays! x**


	12. Christmas Special

**Because it's Christmas Eve where I live and tomorrow it's Christmas, I decided to write a little story with my wolf characters in Christmas style:) This has nothing to do with the actual story but it's just for Christmas:) Also, I might have written in a couple of new faces that I have yet to introduce in the actual story;) I hope you'll like it!**

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It isn't very often that Sabo finds himself all on his own, without the company of his two brothers. Usually either Luffy is clinging onto him with countless of stories about things that he has done or things that his friends have done, or Ace is just walking with him. Talking and teasing his younger twin brother.

Now, Sabo is alone and he can't find himself minding it very much. Unlike the two black-haired boys, he is pretty reserved and calm by nature. He loves causing trouble with them and being the reason why Buggy is losing his mind, but there are enough times where Sabo just wants to sit and do nothing. Help out his mother at home or just keep his father company while the man is on patrol through the cave, to make sure everybody is still okay and in one piece.

He digs his boots into the thick layer of snow, that fell just over night. It is still snowing and Sabo looks up at the dark sky. It is freezing outside but Sabo feels warm enough to just stand still and stare at the pine tree, in the middle of an open spot, not too far from the cave. It's already dark and most of the wolves are inside, finding entertainment in playful fights or, in Luffy's case, playing a pirate with their friends. Sabo knows Ace is testing his limits again with Kid and Bartolomeo and though Sabo was tempted to give in when Ace almost begged him to join, he refused and went outside for a little alone time.

Throwing his head in his neck, Sabo looks the tree up and down. Its leaves are covered in snow and on top is a little bird sat, shaking the snow of its feathers. The open spot is always full of flowers and grass but it's all underneath the thick layer of white snow. There are paw prints all around the tree and all over the field. Here and there the paws turn into footprints while some of them are already gone under a new layer of snow.

Sabo can't help but crack a smile as he looks at the tree. He has fond memories that all surround around this particular pine tree. When he and the others were little, they used to decorate this tree according to the human tradition that is called Christmas. Their grandfather of all wolves is the one who told them about the tradition. It's not so strange, considering how Garp used to be one of them, but it's still funny to Sabo. Garp is not so much a fun-loving grandfather but comes close to a soldier almost all of the times.

Sabo chuckles when he recalls the first story Garp has ever told him and Ace. Luffy was just a baby, only a couple of months old, when Garp sat them down to tell them about this feast. It's one of the warmest memories Sabo has of Garp. The way he sat there, right underneath this pine tree, with a baby Luffy wrapped up in a warm blanket in his big arms is something that Sabo will never forget. He was only two at the time and it is the only thing Sabo can remember from his first four years.

Ace was very against it but because he had a soft spot for their baby brother from day one, he joined them. He and Sabo sat in front of Garp, with only Ace complaining about the cold. Even for a two year old, he was feisty and had an attitude. Back then, Sabo is sure that Garp didn't really mind.

Garp told them all about the lights, the food, the decorations and above all, the times that families come together to just.. be together. Sabo just remembers being blown away by it and while Ace acted like he didn't care, he really was just as fascinated.

When they were eight, the human traditions were passed onto the werewolves.

Sabo puts his hands into his pockets and warmly smiles at the tree, visualizing the lights that Shanks had brought from the village and all the improvised ornaments.

He remembers the day like it was only yesterday.

 _~11 years ago~_

"Sabo! Sabo, look! Snow!"

The eight-year old blonde's ears perk up at the sound of a toddler's voice and he looks away from his group of friends and brother, who are all throwing snowballs at each other with the occasional string of wolf fur buried in the snow. A smile appears on his face at the sight of Luffy, who is throwing snow up in the air while their mother is desperately trying to wrap a thick scarf around his tiny neck.

"Luffy, for god's sake! Stop moving and look at your mother. I can't possibly wrap the scarf if you can't hold still." Rouge gently scolds, pulling the six-year old toddler closer to her. Luffy doesn't mind it and giggles, holding up a pile of snow in front of his mother's face.

"Look, ma! It's snowing!" Luffy cries out and Rouge smiles at her youngest, tightening the scarf before she leans over to press a kiss on Luffy's forehead. She stands up and looks over to the group of young wolves. Luffy is already about to run over but she quickly reaches out to pull him back and exclaims, directing her voice at the group of boys, "Ace! Sabo! Keep a watchful eye over your brother, will you?"

Ace is now the one to look up and he looks slightly annoyed, shouting back, "But ma! Luffy can't even play with us!" Rouge crosses her arms and replies to that, her voice stern this time, "Ace, you better promise me you won't let Luffy get hurt. If you're being careful, and I know that you can, Luffy can very well play along with you boys."

"But ma-"

"Of you go, darling. Don't eat yellow snow." Rouge tunes out Ace's whining and gently pushes Luffy towards the group. Luffy laughs loudly and after a wild gesture that was supposed to be a wave, Luffy runs to his brothers. However, his short legs can't keep up with his burning desire to get to them and before he is even off the hill that the cave is located on, Luffy tumbles forward and bounces off the hill.

Sabo watches Luffy fall with widened eyes and at the sound of their mother's shocked gasp, he drops the perfect snowball (that he has been working on for the longest time) and rushes over to Luffy. Ace looks at Luffy with annoyance but he can't stop himself from going after his twin brother. He has a very soft spot for Luffy and while he will never admit to it, it's very obvious to the whole pack. Ever since Luffy was born, it was always Ace who made sure that Luffy wouldn't get hurt. And if he did, he would be among the first to scold Luffy for being so incredibly stupid.

Luffy ends up face first into the snow, only stopping once he is off the hill. Sabo falls down next to him and puts his hand on Luffy's black hair, touching the ears in comfort as he speaks in a rush, "Lu! Are you okay?!"

It is all it takes for Luffy to pop his head back up. He stares at Sabo for a couple of seconds, his face covered in snow and red because of the cold, before tears well up in his eyes and he starts sobbing, his bright red mittens balling into tiny fists as they move up to wipe away all the tears that are rolling down his cold cheeks.

Sabo pouts and wastes no time in wrapping his arms around his little brother, pulling him closer. He pets his hair and only looks up when he hears footsteps in the snow. Ace is soon behind him and crosses his arms, looking indignant as he stares at Luffy. With a huff, he snaps, his eyes roaming over Luffy's tiny body, "You dumb idiot. Why can't you watch where you're going?"

"Not helping, Ace." Sabo snaps, his eyes finding Luffy again. Luffy hiccups and looks away from his soaked mittens. There are still tears in his big eyes and he looks up at Ace, slightly pouting as he hiccups again. Ace immediately looks away but it doesn't take very long for him to crack. He sighs loudly, on purpose, and crunches down next to Sabo. He throws a couple of looks around him before he takes off his glove to let his hand turn into a paw. At this age he is not allowed to change in the forest without the supervision of an adult wolf nearby but Ace can't care any less about the rules at this moment. He looks at Luffy, ignoring the knowing glance resting on Sabo's face, and asks in a worried voice, failing at hiding it, "Where are you hurt?"

Luffy looks a little stunned for a short second before he points at his right cheek as he says, with another hiccup and a wet face, "H-here!"

Ace sighs and carefully leans forward, putting the paw on Luffy's cheek. He presses against it and says, in a soft voice, "This will keep it warm, won't it? Are you alright?"

Luffy immediately leans into Ace's touch and nods, a smile finally finding it's way back onto his face as he says, in a bright voice, "Thank you, Ace!"

"Looks like you do care." Sabo teases and Ace makes a fist at him. Sabo ducks away and all their heads look up at the sound of another person joining them. Rouge is running down the hill, her feet having turned into paws out of pure instinct. She lifts up her dress as she is running through the snow and when she is finally at her sons' sides, she leans down and picks up Luffy from the ground.

"Are you alright, my dear?! I told you to be careful before, didn't I?" Rouge scolds while checking Luffy's face. She looks down at the other two and only now notices Ace's hand. Ace turns a little red and turns it back into a proper hand. Rouge sighs and says, petting Luffy on his cheek, "Darling, I don't need to explain to you the rules again. You know how dangerous it is for inexperienced little wolves such as yourself to change whenever you feel like it."

Ace looks away and mutters, crossing his arms, "I did it for Luffy, not because I wanted to."

Rouge looks a little surprised but seeing the knowing smirk on Sabo's face, she can't help but crack a smile herself as well and hugs Luffy close for good measure before she looks him in the eye to ask, "Did your big brother already cheered you up?"

Luffy eagerly nods and exclaims, "Ace is the best, ma! Can you put me down now? I want to play!"

Rouge sighs and presses a kiss on Luffy's cheek before placing him back into the snow. Luffy wastes no time in reaching for Ace's hand and he giggles at Ace's scoff. The older of the two still tightens his grip on Luffy's hand and Rouge says, looking at all three of them, "Look out for each other, boys. I don't want any of you coming back to the cave with broken bones or bald spots. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma. Let's go, you two! I still have Bartolomeo to beat down!" Sabo exclaims and runs ahead, not having issues with the snow himself. Luffy cheers and doesn't let go of Ace's hand as they too catch up with Sabo. Ace is being careful though, making sure that Luffy watches his step and Rouge smiles at her boys, wrapping her arms around her body to keep herself warm.

She is about to turn around to go back when she sees Dadan joining her and she stops moving. The chubby wolf has got her usual scoff resting on her lips and is accompanied by two children, both not leaving her side.

Chopper, who is only two, is sitting in her arms, having his tiny arms wrapped around Dadan's neck as he lets his head rest on her shoulder to watch the older boys play in the snow. The second wolf is Law. Law joined their family only a couple of weeks ago and is still not socializing with any of the other children. Luffy is the one to constantly bug him with his stuff but Law never has any of it. Not that Luffy cares but Rouge does. She doesn't want Law to feel uncomfortable, not after everything that he has been through.

Law is standing very close to Dadan, almost pressing against her leg. His arms are crossed and he is glaring at the boys, who are all younger than him. A white scarf is wrapped around his neck, done by Rocinante. The older wolf had to force Law to wear it but over the last weeks, Law has grown attached to Rocinante so the forcing didn't take very long. On top of his head rests a white, fluffy hat and most of it covers his forehead, almost hiding his piercing eyes.

Dadan lets her presence be known and lifts up the boy in her arms, nodding towards the playing boys as she starts complaining, "Damn your husband and Garp, Rouge. Making me babysit the brats. In weather like this! I have other things to do, damn it."

Rouge chuckles a little and shakes her head. She looks at Chopper and says, reaching out to pet the boy's brown hair, "Cheer up, Dadan-san. You're the best when it comes to the children. They may always be making things difficult for you but they truly do love you. After all, you're the one who always watched over Ace and Sabo when they were still babies. They trust you. You should be proud of that."

"I want something else to be proud of." Dadan complains but it's obvious for Rouge that she is now just looking for reasons to stay grumpy. She smiles at the curly haired woman and after a little smile directing at Law, who immediately looks away, she turns around to go back to the warmth of the cave. Roger is waiting for her at the entrance of the cave, watching his sons play in the snow with the biggest dad smile he had ever made.

"Out of the way, Hancock! This game isn't made for girls!"

The long-haired girl, a year older than Ace, huffs offended and snaps, stamping with her feet, "Shut up, you fool! I don't even want to play with stupid boys like you!" Margaret, a blonde wolf the same age as Ace and Hancock's best friend, sighs but doesn't correct her. She looks at the boys who are all throwing snow at each other and her eye falls on the tiny Luffy, who has stopped throwing snow at his brothers and is laughing joyfully as he is attempting to make a snowman with the help of the same-aged pink-furred wolf, Coby. Coby is clearly freezing and not at all made for the snow, but the poor soul is trying his best to keep up with his hyper best friend. Luffy pushes mountains of snow into Coby's direction and exclaims, "Da says the lowest needs to be the biggest, Coby! We need all the snow in the world to make the best snowman ever!"

"B-but, Luffy, I can't roll this much snow into a ball. I'm not strong enough." Coby whines, flinching as Luffy snorts to that. He crosses his arms and looks around the group before he exclaims, "Ace! Can you help us build a snowman?"

"I'm kinda busy, Lu! Not now!" is the immediate response before the eight-year old starts cussing at Cavendish, who just threw a big ball of snow into the black-furred wolf's face. Luffy pouts and is about to direct his voice at Sabo when it's none other than Hancock to exclaim with glee, "I will help you, Luffy! I am very good at making a snowman!"

Luffy smile widens and he waves at her, making Hancock squeak in delight. She ignores the glares she gets from Ace, who is mentally warning her not to harm his little brother, and dashes over to Luffy, holding up her dress as she makes way through the battlefield. Margaret is left with no other choice than to follow her and throws snow at all the boys who dare to hit her with their stupid snowballs.

Once they reach the two toddlers, Hancock coos and slams her hands together to say in a loud and determined voice, "Yosh! Let's show your brothers how dumb they are being and make the most beautiful snowman that has ever existed!" Margaret rolls her eyes at her friend but can't help to smile a little. Hancock thinks Luffy is the most adorable toddler ever and takes every chance she gets to spend time with him. Luffy doesn't mind her company at all but his brothers are a different story. They don't want some girl all over their cute little brother and don't like it when she makes all kind of weird noises when he sneezes or smiles like there is no care in the world.

Margaret thinks it's hilarious. Hancock was probably more excited, outside his parents and the twins of course, than any other wolf in the pack when Luffy was finally born. For some reason, it wasn't the same as with Coby, but Margaret thinks it's amusing either way.

Luffy chuckles and throws his hands up in the air, cheering. Coby, however, doesn't look so sure and is fumbling with his hands as he softly says, mostly for Luffy but loud enough for the girls to hear it as well, "A-are we sure about this?"

"Why are you so scared, Coby~?! Come on, lets find more snow!" Luffy excitedly exclaims and pushes Coby forward, having Hancock happily skip after them. Margaret shakes her head but bends down to her knees to gather snow for the little boy.

With the help of the two girls, the snowman manages to stay up and Luffy immediately takes off his scarf to wrap it around the snowman's neck. Coby gasps and hisses, "L-Luffy! You can't do that!"

Luffy tilts his head to the side, his ears flopping down, "Why not?"

"Because it's cold, you stupid! Take that scarf of the snowman and give it to me!"

Ace's sharp voice cuts through the air and much to Hancock's dismay, he is at their sides within seconds. She glares at him when he snaps, pointing at her, "You dumb girl! You were supposed to watch over the brat!"

"Don't you raise your voice at me, insolent one. Your cute little brother should be allowed to do whatever his heart desires." Hancock snaps back and Ace frowns at her, not understanding what she is talking about. He rolls his eyes at her and noticing how Luffy is not doing anything, he groans and rips off the scarf himself. Luffy's eyes widen at that and he shouts, "Ace! Don't do that! Now mister snowman is going to be cold!"

"Snow is already cold! And you matter more than some stupid pile of snow! Get over here and let me wrap the scarf back around your neck." Ace shouts back and immediately wishes he hadn't. Luffy's eyes well up with tears and he cries out, loud enough for the entire forest to hear, "You're mean, Ace! Why do you hate mister snowman so much?! I don't want you to give me back the scarf, stupid big brother!"

Ace raises his arms in defense, noticing Sabo's piercing eyes looking over at the commotion, and says, his voice lowering its volume, "Oi, oi, oi. Calm down, damn it! Just get over here and take your scarf! Ma will be very cross with both of us if you don't have your scarf around your neck! Why are you being so stubborn?! This will keep you warm!"

Luffy stomps with his feet into the snow, next to a cowering Coby who is looking at Ace with big eyes, and starts throwing a tantrum as he shouts at Ace, "NO! I don't want to be warm if mister snowman is freezing! You're stupid, Ace! You're stupid!"

Ace's eye starts to twitch and he raises the hand that is holding the scarf before exclaiming, "Who are you calling stupid?! I'm worried about you, damn it! Why don't you understand something as simple as that?!"

Luffy suddenly tilts his head, lowering his posture, and asks, his voice very serious for a six-year old, "Is big brother going to cry if I don't put on the scarf?"  
Ace glares at Hancock, who lets out a muffled laugh, and sighs. Luffy is looking at him in growing concern and seeing how this is probably the only way for Luffy to listen to him, Ace gives in and says, clenching his teeth, "Yes, Luffy. Big brother... big brother is going to cry if you don't listen."

Luffy proceeds to pout and he dashes over to Ace, clinging onto him as he cries out, "No! Don't cry, Ace-nii! I will put on the scarf!"

He rips the scarf out of Ace's hands and attempts to wrap the scarf himself. However, Luffy is not able to do so and makes lots of frustrated noises before he pouts as he looks up at Ace. Ace rolls his eyes and crunches down to do it for Luffy.

"But.. Ace. Now mister snowman is going to be cold." Luffy still pouts, looking at Ace with puppy eyes. Ace wants to shout at him again but he refrains from doing so and sighs, slightly annoyed. He looks at the snowman and says, not sure why he does so, "He can have my scarf. Will that make you happy?"

Luffy smiles widely and throws his arms around his older brother, exclaiming, "Yay! Ace is really the best big brother!"

Ace can't help but smirk triumphantly into Sabo's direction, who shakes his head and gapes at the pair. He lets Luffy climb on his back and carries him back to the snowman. Ace takes off his scarf and lets Luffy do the wrapping, even though he is totally incapable of doing so. It ends up looking very messy but Luffy is satisfied so Ace is not the one to snap him out of his bubble.

"Ooi! Kids! Look what uncle Shanks brought back!"

A loud voice cuts off all the activity and all heads are turned towards the noise. Shanks appears between the trees, wearing a thick coat that is covered in snow. In his arms is a big wooden box and he looks very happy to be back. He joins the group of boys and puts the box on the ground before he shouts towards Dadan, "Dadan! Get over here and help me out a little!"

"The hell, red head?! Did you go the humans again?" Dadan complains, still walking towards the group. Law is dashing after her, now holding onto her shirt. Chopper has moved his head up and looks at the box in curiosity, his eyes widening at the sight of a bunch of bright colors.

"Oooh! What's that, Shanks?!" Luffy exclaims and runs to his favorite uncle. He falls down on his knees and puts his hands on the side of the box, leaning over to look inside of it. Dadan puts Chopper down to let him do the same and soon all the children are trying to get a glimpse of whatever it is inside of Shanks' mysterious box.

"What's this?! It's so pretty!" Luffy takes out a red ball, with a sparkling snowflake right in the middle of it. He holds it up in the air and Chopper cries out in delight as well, shouting, "Snowflake!"

"Cool, right?! Here, you want to hold it?" Luffy asks, leaning down to give the ball to Chopper. Dadan is immediately at their side, just to make sure Chopper won't drop whatever it is.

Kid crosses his arms and looks up at Shanks, asking with a scoff, "What's this supposed to be?" Shanks seems incredibly happy with Kid's attention, him of course being the one he is trying to raise into a respectable wolf, and answers, crunching down to meet all their eyes, "These, my children, are Christmas ornaments. Humans use these balls and lights to decorate a tree with, to celebrate Christmas!"

"The humans? What does that have to do with any of us?" Cavendish asks, glancing over Kid's shoulder. Shanks laughs and takes out a string of lights.

"Isn't it fun to decorate a tree?! I bet it will look very pretty!"

"Can we do that?! Jichan told us about it and it sounded like a lot of fun!" Luffy exclaims, joining Shanks' side to touch the lights. Sabo looks at the ball that is currently in Ace's curious hands and asks, "But, what tree are we doing to decorate? There are so many here."

"I already thought about that, kids. Do you know the big pine tree, not too far from here? That's perfect! Who is going to help uncle decorate the tree?!"

"ME!" Luffy is the first to shout and Chopper also joins in on Luffy's shouting, jumping up and down. Hancock is quick with saying yes as well, seeing how excited Luffy is, and Margaret goes along with it. Kid is the first one to roll his eyes but after Ace says he'll do it, for the sake of Luffy, he sees no other option than to join. That makes Shanks very happy and he can't stop himself from lifting up the boy to hug him close. Kid immediately starts protesting but Shanks doesn't let go of him.

Soon, Sabo joins as well and within 5 minutes, all children are on board and they find themselves on the open spot, all looking up at the tree in amazement. Law, who didn't want to be left behind when Dadan was going too, is standing behind said woman as he gazes up at the tree that he has not seen before. He looks at the other children, who are already running around and scoffs as he looks away.

Shanks claps his hands together and explains, in a loud voice, "Alright, kids! These are all the ornaments I managed to get. Feel free to make some of your own. Go crazy!" He lets out an excited shout and has to jump out of the way as all the wolf children run forward to get their hands on the best ornaments.

Sabo gets one for Luffy and lifts up the boy to hang it up on a nice spot. He has taken one himself as well and walks around the pine tree to find a good spot himself. Ace is messing around with the lights, together with Kid, never having seen anything like this before.

"Damn it! Shanks, these things don't work!" Ace whines and throws the lights on the ground. There aren't much of them to begin with so Shanks is quick with picking it up from the ground. He leans over and says, "That isn't so weird, kiddo. You'll need these fireflies to let it light up. Here, see? They are big enough for one firefly. If you let me do that, you can hang it around the tree with Kid once I'm done."

Ace seems satisfied enough with that and proceeds to jump into the forest with Kid and Bartolomeo, who has already managed to break one of the few ornaments, to gather pines and rocks they want to put in their tree.

Luffy runs up to Dadan, holding an orange ornament, and exclaims as he holds up the ball, "It looks just like Dadan!" Dadan turns red and shouts, "Hah?! You little brat!" Luffy laughs at her face and jumps behind her before she can touch him. He chuckles and sees Law standing there too. He smiles and walks up to him, grabbing his hand. Law's head turns around right away and he looks at Luffy in a shocked manner.

"Are you coming too? Here, you can hang the Dadan-ball in the tree!"

"I'll throw you on top of that tree if you say one more word!"

Law looks at the ball in hesitation and is about to reject the offer when Luffy drags him away from Dadan to push him towards the tree. He hands him the ball and says, "Hang it up." Law turns his head to look at Shanks, who is looking at them like some kind of proud father before he helps out the two girls, who want the only pink ball right in the center of the tree. Cavendish is strongly against it but is happy right away when Shanks lets him put his favorite color right next to the girls' ball.

Law sighs and puts the ball on the first branch that he sees. Luffy smiles widely at that and grabs Law's hand once again to take him to the box.

Halfway through the decorating, older wolves start joining one by one and when Roger and Rouge show up, craning their necks to see what's going on, Luffy is the first one to run up to them. He giggles as Roger lifts him up in his arm and rubs his nose against Luffy's cheek.

"Look, da! Shanks brought Christmas stuff for us to make the tree pretty!" Luffy exclaims and Roger frowns. His eyes find Shanks, who is now putting fireflies inside tiny glass bowls as his oldest son and Kid are watching with great concentration.

Sabo is running up to them too and holds up a blue ornament, pushing it into his mother's face as he smiles, "It's pretty, right? Shanks brought ornaments from the village!"

"It's very pretty, sweetheart. Is this what you guys have been doing the entire noon?" Rouge asks, putting her hand on Sabo's head. The trio walks forward, Sabo leading the way as he nods and says, "Yeah, it's actually a lot of fun!" He leaves his parents be and goes up to Ace and Kid, leaning over Ace to see what Shanks is doing. Ace looks up and notices their parents as well. A tiny smile finds its way on his face but he doesn't greet them. He is too busy with focusing on the lights to be bothered by a greeting.

Roger laughs at that and hugs Luffy a little closer as he looks up at the tree. The whole tree is decorating with unfamiliar balls and pines everywhere. He notices hearts made out of twigs and berries dangling off the branches. All the children are around it, too busy to notice any of the older wolves. Chopper is already back in Kureha's arms, who is putting a berry in the tree on her own. Law is also back at his parent's side, holding Rocinante's arm as the older wolf is very joyfully looking around him, taking in the scene.

Rouge puts her hand on Luffy's back and smiles as she watches her sons play around. They both cheer, joined by Kid, when Shanks is finally done and with a triumphed look on his face, the red-haired wolf holds up the lights and exclaims, "Watch me, boys! I'll light up this tree!"

"Can't I do it, Shanks?! You've already put the fireflies inside those balls!" Ace immediately whines and Shanks can't say no to that. Roger takes it as his cue to give Luffy to Rouge and to walk over to the four wolves. He lifts Ace into his arms and says, "You're too small to wrap it all the way around the tree. Let big ol' da help you out."

Ace huffs but he doesn't complain. Shanks chuckles and hands him the lights. And with the help of Roger, Ace manages to wrap it all the way to the top. Roger puts him down once it's done and holds Ace near him by keeping his hands on his shoulders. The fireflies are already doing their job and the tree lights up beautifully. Luffy's eyes start to shine and Rouge walks closer, joining her husband's side with an overly excited Luffy bouncing up and down in her arms. Sabo finds his place next to Ace and smiles at his twin before he looks up at the tree.

Shanks is smirking in satisfaction on the side and soon finds Buggy, who has also come out to see what the hell is going on. Buggy doesn't want him near and is about to run when Shanks throws his arm around him to shout, "Don't be such a kill-joy, Buggy! Look at that beautiful tree! Thanks to your best friend, not the mention."

"Shut the hell up! It's not pretty at all!" Buggy shouts but Shanks laughs and pulls Buggy even closer.

Sabo watches it for a second before his eyes find the tree again. He looks up all the way to the top and smiles widely. He can hear Luffy losing his mind in the back and all around him the whole pack is laughing.

He shuffles closer to his family and feels his father's hand being placed on his shoulder. He looks up at the man and finds a warm smile directing towards him. Sabo grins back and stares back at the tree again.

Humans have some nice traditions after all.

* * *

Sabo sighs as the laughter fades away and he sees an ordinary pine tree again. He slightly pouts his lips and ruffles his hair back into place before he stuffs his hand back into the warm pocket.

"Sabo! What the hell are you doing outside? It's fucking freezing!"

Sabo turns around and finds Ace standing between the trees. The guy is clearly very cold and has changed to his werewolf form to make himself a little warmer. It looks amusing, a wolf on two paws, wearing shorts and a warm hood around his upper body.

The blonde chuckles and shrugs, calmly walking towards Ace, "Nothing. Just clearing my head."

"Clearing your head in this damn cold weather. Sometimes I don't get you." Ace snaps and Sabo shakes his head, laughing at his brother as the two go back to the cave.

Sabo can't help but throw one last look over his shoulder. It would be nice to decorate the tree again.

Though, he isn't so sure if they'll ever be able to.

Nonetheless, the thought of it is nice and keeping that in mind, Sabo calmly listens to Ace's complaining about the cold and makes his way back to the chaotic mess that he calls family.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas! x**


	13. Chapter 12

**Thank you so much for all the reviews I've recieved so far:) I hope this will satisfy as well! Enjoy:)**

* * *

With a very uncomfortable shuffle, Ace is following Marco, who seems to be in a forever good mood. He greets about every single human that passes their way and always politely nods into their direction. They all wave back at him like it is the most natural thing. Ace is the gloomy, black shadow that is trailing after the polite blonde, not looking up at the passing humans. When he does meet a couple of eyes it doesn't take very long for them to gulp and look into the other direction.

They better.

Ace is all but glaring at every single one of them and his gaze even darkens when a man, a black-haired male with a cross dangling on his chest and a big feathered hat on his hair, points at him and asks, with an expressionless face, "Are you aware of the fact that a gloomy figure is following your every step, Marco?"

Ace sucks in his lower lip, biting on it hard with his canine teeth. He is almost afraid he'll tear his lip apart if it isn't for Marco lowly chuckling at the annoying human before he answers, tossing a look over his shoulder towards the guy behind him, "Leave him alone, yoi. Don't waste your time on inspecting every stranger in the village."

The guy eyes Ace with slightly narrowed eyes, making Ace feel more than just a little anxious. With a scoff, trying to hide the forever fear of being discovered in the middle of a human village, he turns his head away and rubs his arm with one hand, letting it rest on the fabric of his green shirt, right on top of his tattoo. The letter 'E' is slightly visible but most of the tattoo is covered.

It's one that Ace is proud of and one that has a lot of significance to him. His name, spelled out on the upper part of his arm, just below the shoulders. When he turned fifteen, he and Law decided to get tattoos. Or rather, _finally_ decided to get them. They both have traumatic experiences with humans and since they understand each other like no other (not even Luffy, who sees himself as Law's best friend) they thought of a way to always remind themselves of what happened to them and that they survived.

Law went all out with the word 'death' spelled on his knuckles and a giant heart on his chest, inspired by Corazon. Corazon of course cried like a little baby once he saw that tattoo, even after all of his complaints about his 'little boy' letting himself get inked like that. Ace's parents were like that too, especially his mother. His father perfectly understood where he was coming from and was quick to agree but his mother was a completely different case. She was scared of infections, of the needle in his skin hurting him, of him later on regretting all of it.

Ace regrets nothing.

He opted for his own name, simple as that. It's a tattoo really for himself, as a reminder of the fact that he is still here and that he can't ever let something like the kidnapping from nine years happen again. He has two younger brothers who need his protection.

Sabo is only ten minutes younger, but younger is younger and Ace won't ever let Sabo debate about that. The blonde is younger of age than him and that's a fact that he'll have to deal with.

"I don't really care about strangers, Marco-san. As long as I do not have to get involved, I have no complaints. Have a good day."

The tall man slightly pulls his hat as a sign of goodbye and after staring for a couple of long seconds at Ace, he gives him a mere nod before he carries on with whatever he was doing. Ace can't help but follow him with his eyes, letting out a small 'ché' once the man is out of sight.

Marco grins at him and says, "Don't mind Mihawk, yoi. He always makes bad first impressions. But he's not half so bad. A little more expression would be nice sometimes but what can a simple man such as myself do about that, yoi."

"I really don't give a damn about whoever that is." Ace scoffs, crossing his arms as he makes himself look at the blonde human. Marco dares to smirk at him, as if he already expected that answer to be thrown his way. He points towards a sign with his thumb and says, "We're almost there. Let's go, yoi, before Yasopp might be gone."

Ace doesn't want to ask but he can't stop the question from leaving his lips, making Marco turn around again with that damn lazy grin of his on his face.

"Who's Yasopp?"

Ace gets caught of guard by Marco's knowing grin and mutters, turning red as he looks away, "Not that I care or anything. You know what, don't answer that question at all. Go the fuck to that shop and tell me if you see a straw hat."

Ace doesn't even wait for Marco to open his mouth and promptly walks around the blonde, not even sure where the hell he is supposed to go. Marco pointed at a sign, but there are too many damn signs for Ace to know where he has to be.

He slows down at the realization and feels himself getting beyond pissed off when he notices Marco coming closer again while saying, his voice a little louder so that Ace can actually hear him, "Yasopp is the owner of the gun shop, yoi. Pretty nice guy, knows a thing or two about guns."

Ace turns red and balls his fists, snapping after turning around to face Marco, "I told you I didn't fucking care!"

"You cared enough to ask it in the first place, hothead. But enough chitchat, Yasopp is waiting for us. Probably, yoi." Marco answers, as if Ace did not just shout like a gorilla at him. Ace gapes at him, one of his eyes starting to twitch. He raises his fist, a fraction too late as Marco is already on his way, and shouts after him, not too stupid to forget he needs to stay near Marco if he ever wants to find Luffy without getting lost again, "You prick! Don't fucking call me that!"

Marco starts to laugh and Ace can't be bothered to make another comment that will probably get him the exact same reaction. He pushes his tongue against the inside of his cheek and slumps his shoulders, dragging himself after Marco at the rate of a slug. Marco doesn't seem to notice and happily skips further, stopping in front of a shop quicker than Ace had thought.

The dark wolf rubs his nose and puts his hand on his trusted cowboy hat, showing up behind Marco like a ghost. He tries not to get obvious about the way he is basically glaring at the displayed guns but he can't fool anyone. Marco is side-eying him, following his gaze to the weapons. He doesn't say anything about the darkened glare that has made way for his usual scoff and Ace is glad that he doesn't.

Ace doesn't like guns.

It's a common weapon that even a couple of the werewolves use. Shanks and Benn are the most notable people. It's not that Ace likes them any less because of their choice of weapon, not all. As a matter of fact, he perfectly understands why they always carry them around with them. It's a weapon that weaklings like humans use to kill and because Shanks can't shift while being attacked by a human, he opted to use a gun instead.

Especially after the violent attacks from nine years ago.

The same attacks that made Ace hate guns more than he hates the ones using them.

The mere look of them makes Ace feel his heart rate go up. Little sweat breaks out and Ace has to swallow away a lump in his throat, trying to keep calm. It's a difficult task but Ace has faced bigger issues than this. He can't make Marco question him even more.

It was a gun shot that caused Ace's first fatal injury. As a ten-year-old, he was even more aggressive than he is now. It came only natural that he tried to harm the humans that had managed to take him away from Shanks, with whom he was outside at the time. Shanks and he were testing Ace's growing strengths for a bit when his grandfather suddenly showed up, wanting to talk about something with the red head. After Garp and Shanks disappeared in the shadows from the trees, Ace was left on his own.

Just like his brothers, Ace took it upon himself to just wander around for a little bit until Shanks would come back but unlike other times, he himself didn't come back. Somehow, the hunters had found a way to get close to their territory, no doubt having kept their eyes on them after the death of Coby. It just so happened to be that Ace stumbled upon them, not wearing his hat and his ears out and open in the air.

It didn't take long for them to go after the very frightened kid but even after getting a hold of him, Ace tried his hardest to break free.

It made the one hunter that caused the most pain on Ace reach for his gun and shoot without any hesitation.

Ace flinches at the thoughts and can almost hear the sadistic laughter echoing his mind, joined by his own crying.

Ace hates crying. He doesn't like being the vulnerable one. He never has. He is the older brother, he should be one to suck up his emotions for the sake of his brothers' safety. If they ever see him crying, they will feel like they're in danger and Ace wants to prevent that from happening.

Luffy should never feel fear. Sabo should never feel fear. Not the way he did when the hunters took him away from them.

"Are you alright, yoi?"

Marco's rather soothing voice snaps Ace back to reality and with a snap of his neck, that would have hurt so much if it wasn't for his pride, he turns his head to look at the blonde with bewildered eyes. He isn't too sure if he is seeing this right, but it's almost like Marco is concerned about him.

Why the hell would he be concerned about him? They barely know each other. Scratch that, they don't know each other at all.

Ace clears his throat, pulling his hat down to the point that it is covering his eyes and most of his face, the shadow falling over his cheeks, hiding the darkened color red that is slowly spreading over his tanned skin.

"I'm fine."

Marco raises an eyebrow in seemingly disbelief but he doesn't continue questioning Ace and merely shrugs before he says, "We're here though, yoi. I'm going to talk to Yasopp for a while but stay outside if that's what you want. By no means think you have to come inside with me, yoi."

"It almost sounds like you don't want me near." Ace scoffs, not so sure why he even made the attempt. However, Marco snorts and rolls his eyes at him as he answers, "Are you trying to tell me that this big grumpy cat, who was so reluctant in coming along with me, wants to come inside while I'll be having very grown-up business talks with the owner?"

Ace bites his lip in annoyance before he snaps, "Piss off, blonde asshole. No, I have absolutely no fucking intent of seeing the inside of _that_. Go on, you've got 'grown-up' business to do, don't you?"

That sounded a lot dirtier than he intended it to sound and the very second Ace realizes that, he flushes a very bright color red and Marco bursts out in loud laughter again. He winks at Ace, who flips him off at the suggestive gesture, and walks inside while still hiccuping from his laughter.

Ace sneers the moment Marco is out of sight and crosses his arms, after making sure his hat is still hiding his ears. He leans against the wall of the shop, glaring at the guns on his left. He has gotten used to Shanks' and Benn's guns, he doesn't jump a feet up in the air anymore at the sight of them. Not to mention the fact that both older wolves are aware of his trauma and take it easy on the guns while being near him. In the very beginning they refused to carry them around when Ace was with them but gradually Ace eased back into the idea of guns around and they started carrying them around again.

But just looking at guns like that, out in the open and for any human to buy and shoot around with as they please, it makes Ace sick in his stomach. Humans are weak and can't do much on their own. Admittedly, that Thatch-human wasn't quite the weakling that Ace would expect for a human. He had strength that Ace could have easily mistaken for the strength of an untrained werewolf. Werewolves are naturally strong and even those who are left with no training (such as wolf cubs that lost their pack early on or are simply left on their own devices) can defend themselves against humans. It doesn't mean that they always win but they can harm a human without having been taught how to properly use their teeth.

Thatch is pretty much equivalent to the strength of a older werewolf cub and that's actually saying a lot. Ace hates that he is so impressed by it, but that's how he feels about it.

However, there is absolutely no denying that the vast majority of the humans doesn't possess the same strength as Thatch. Instead of natural power, they use machines and weapons to make up for their lack of strength.

It's pathetic but sadly useful. Coby was killed by a silver bullet. Ace nearly died because of the same reason. He is thankful to everything holy that the hunters made the, for him lifesaving, mistake of using a mere metal bullet rather than a pure silver one. It could have killed him nonetheless since it was shot very near his heart but his father showed up just in time for him to be taken back to the safety of the cave. Granted, it took them a while to find him because the hunters had taken him to a very remote spot where they could abuse and hurt him to the point where Ace couldn't even move anymore. There is still a long running scar on his back, done by a very disgusting-looking human who thought it'd be fun to slice a werewolf cub's back with a rusty old knife.

Ace clenches his teeth, balling his fist to make him stop thinking about the awful time. His nails dig themselves into his tough skin and if it isn't for a familiar scent that meets his nose, he would have made himself bleed.

He freezes for a second before he whips his head up, holding his hat in place, and feels a relieved smile creeping on his face when he sees his twin brother, looking around him. Ace has the perfect vision on Sabo, who is standing in front of an alley that leads straight towards the shop. He almost looks lost but Ace knows Sabo isn't stupid and the grin only widened when Sabo finally turns his body to step into the alley to make his way over the gun shop.

It's slightly confuses Ace. Why would Sabo come here? He can feel his ears perk up beneath his hat. Is it possible that Luffy is inside the shop? No, Ace soon realizes. He would have caught his scent from a mile away and since he hasn't, there is no way that Luffy is here.

Sabo is keeping his gaze focused on the ground and only looks up when he is out of the alley and back on the main road. The surprise on his face when he meets eyes with the eldest of the twin pair is indescribable and Ace has to keep a chuckle inside. Sabo wastes absolutely no time in racing over to him but Ace is very quick with holding up his hand, making the blonde stop.

Ace can't have Marco know someone he's close to is here too. Ace doesn't want him to know a single thing about him. Marco doesn't _need_ to know a thing about him. Every single detail could tingle Marco's suspicion and Ace is painfully aware of the fact that Marco isn't dumb enough to not catch them. He has been giving Ace weird glances every time he spaces out and though it doesn't creep Ace out, it does make him think twice about his actions even more.

Ace looks around him before he walks over to Sabo. Sabo opens his mouth to say something but Ace doesn't give him that chance. He puts his hand on Sabo's shoulder and pushes him back to the alley, all the way into the darkest spot. It's behind a stack of wooden boxes, surrounded by a couple of barrels. Some of them reek of piss and Ace, having a stronger nose than humans, can smell the disgusting stench even more.

He tries his hardest to ignore it, as is Sabo trying to do, and tosses a sharp look over his shoulder before he hisses, looking at his brother. "What the hell are you doing here? Have you found Luffy yet?"

The dark look on Sabo's face tells him all he needs to know and he runs a hand over his face, looking every bit of frustrated an older brother could look. Sabo studies his face for a little bit and speaks up, in a soft voice, "But that's why I'm here. A.. human told me he's seen someone who is very similar to Lu near this gun shop."

Ace looks at him with widened eyes before he whisper-shouts, leaning in closer to Sabo, "That's bullshit, Sabo! I've been standing by this shop for some time and there is no scent of Luffy. Not even while approaching this fucking place I caught wind of him. Luffy isn't here."

Sabo has a wave of emotions going over his face before he holds up his hand to hiss, "He isn't?! Ace, than where the hell is our little brother?!"

Ace balls his fists, sucking on his lower lip.

"If I knew, we wouldn't be whispering like a bunch of fools in an alley-way!"

Sabo flinches a little but keeps his posture. He coughs into his fist and rubs his philtrum with the back of hand, clearly thinking of what to do. His head snaps to the side at the sound a human voice nearby and Ace curses, looking into the same direction as Sabo.

Marco has come outside, his box empty but his face rather confused.

He rubs behind his head and looks into the direction of the alley. Ace covers Sabo's mouth with his hands and pulls him down the ground, hiding behind the reeking barrels. He pays no mind to Sabo's silent protests and slightly pushes himself up to peek over the barrel, locating Marco.

"Where did that boy go, yoi?"

"Mmph?!" Sabo hisses against Ace's hand, looking up at him like he has been terribly insulted. Ace shushes him and bites his lip while looking at Marco.

They need to find Luffy and they need to do it quick.

* * *

"Robin?!"

Luffy looks over Usopp's shoulder at the exclaim and finds a slender girl sitting at the bar, having a book laid out in front of her while the funny afro-dude is whistling a catchy tune as he cleans a glass. Not too far from the girl at the bar is another woman, with dark green hair, who is wiping an empty table in the room. The woman smiles at Usopp when she lays eyes on him and waves at him, as does the afro-dude.

The slender girl turns her head around at the exclaim and shows Usopp a rather mysterious smile, greeting him with a gentle voice, "Hello, Usopp. How nice to see you here." She puts her hand on the book to make sure it won't flip over to the next page and her eyes easily find Luffy, who is not so subtly luring over Usopp's shoulder with very curious, big eyes. He lays his hands on the human's shoulders and stares right back at the girl. She laughs behind her hand and says, "I see you brought a friend with you, Usopp-san."

"Not just any friend, Robin. This is Luffy, the guy we all met a couple of nights ago." Usopp introduces, pushing Luffy forward. Luffy lets him, though with a rather confused look on his face. That changes the moment he is very near Robin and he smiles widely, hoping it comes across as genuine as he tries to make it.

" _First impressions are always important, little wolf. If someone doesn't like you because you behaved like a caveman the first time you see him or her, a potential relationship is ruined right of the bat!"_

 _A loud slap behind the head echoes through the cave, now only lightened by the fire torches as it's almost midnight._

" _Stop filling my son's head with random nonsense, flamingo. You're the last to talk about first impressions."_

" _Oh come on, Roger. You need to at least teach your children that being likable is a good trait to have."_

" _Again, you have no rights to talk about stuff like that. Luffy, look at dad. First impressions are important but you don't need to impress anyone to make sure they'll like you. Not everyone is worth that time and definitely not everyone is as nice as you. There will be people who will not like you, despite making a nice first impression. Just be you and the good ones will show up like flies attracted to light."_

His father's words have stuck with him like anything else his family tries to teach him. Doflamingo has tried on several occasions to change his mind on certain topics but Luffy knows better than to listen to a wolf that once tried to bride human children with candy only to turn into his wolf form and scar them for life. It was during his younger years and the only reason why Luffy knows about it is because Rosinante told him about it, when Luffy was at Law's place to drag said wolf out of his safe cave-home.

Even if Luffy wanted to follow Doflamingo's example, he simply can't. It's impossible for him to pretend he is someone else. Because he can't lie. He is very impressed with himself that so far none of the humans have caught on yet and he must say that he is proud of himself for keeping up with this lie. Granted, Usopp has a helping hand in it, without knowing, and is the main force behind the magical effect of this lie. Luffy really doesn't have to do much, Usopp keeps interrupting him to tell his friends all about his 'life story'.

It's a little difficult to not cut him off by telling the truth or by telling him off because he indirectly insults his family but surprisingly, Luffy can manage.

If only his brothers were here. They would be so proud of him. Hell, they would finally see that he is a very capable, sixteen year old who is not a baby anymore.

Luffy's wide smile turns into a grin at the thought of it and Robin smiles at that, oblivious to the real meaning behind his sudden grin.

"Nice to meet you, Luffy-san. My name is Robin."

"And my name is Brook! I'm also friends with Usopp-san. Nice to make your acquaintances!"

Luffy looks away from Robin and meets the eye with the cool afro-dude, who has very loudly announced his name. He is widely grinning at Luffy, still holding on to the glass he was just cleaning. Given by Usopp's sigh behind him, Luffy takes it that he is slightly annoyed and he laughs, almost as loud as Brook's previous introduction.

"You have cool friends, long nose! I'm very glad that you wanted me to meet them." Luffy says, now genuinely meaning it from his heart. They may be human, but Luffy doesn't really care. He loves his family and he is close to all of them, but only Law and Chopper are considered close friends. He gets along just fine with Kid and Bartolomeo, with Killer and Cavendish, but they are his brothers' friends, not his. And every time he is all alone with them, he is the only one who does the talking.

Kid always calls him annoying and loud.

Cavendish always seems upset with him but Luffy doesn't know why. He once asked Sabo about it but all he got out of his brother was that Cavendish likes the spotlight a bit too much.

Luffy has no clue what he meant by that.

Bartolomeo is always red whenever it is just the two of them and he agrees with everything he says. But other than that, he doesn't speak. He just makes weird noses.

Luffy likes him a lot. He is a funny wolf.

Killer is just... Killer. He is quiet and if he does say something, it's too wise for Luffy to understand.

He likes him too.

Law and Chopper are the ones that he can play around with the whole day. The ones he can talk to about whatever comes to mind. For the blind eye, Law doesn't seem to care much about what Luffy has to say but Luffy knows he is listening. He once told him that Ace stole his slippers and while Law waved him off like he didn't give a rat's ass about what Luffy said, the slippers were back on his feet not an hour later.

Two friends.

If the humans stay as nice as they are now, he has eight more to add to the list of friends.

Usopp smiles at him and shows him a thumbs up before he turns around to point at the green-haired woman, who has been quietly watching the group with a gentle smile on her face. He gestures to her to come closer and says, "Before we're done with introductions, I want you to meet Makino. She is basically Brook's boss and owner of this fine establishment."

Makino giggles and shakes her head, correcting him, "Don't call it that, Usopp-san. This is just my little bar, nothing less and nothing more. Nice to meet you, Luffy."

She is the first human who sticks out her hand and for a moment Luffy is at a loss of what to do. Shanks has told him that humans do this but what is he supposed to do back? Luffy stares at the hand, slightly tilting his head. Makino looks at him, question marks in her eyes.

"Is everything alright, Luffy-san?" she asks and Usopp now also casts a look at him. He frowns and snaps his fingers in front of Luffy's eyes, calling out, "Oi, Luffy. Where did you go?"

Luffy blinks and suddenly smiles broadly, thinking he knows what to do with the hand. He reaches out a finger and presses it against the palm of Makino's hand, lightly tapping it before he pulls away. A satisfied grin appears on his face and Robin's laughter cuts through the air. With a confused frown, Luffy turns to look at her and while seeing her laugh, he also sees Brook's bewildered look.

"Eh?"

Luffy turns back to find Usopp with a hand on his face and tilts his head again.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"What the hell was that?! Don't you know how to shake hands or something?!" Usopp exclaims, causing Makino to laugh as well. Luffy pouts, very clearly upset by Usopp's comment.

"I don't! What else am I supposed to do when a human reaches out their hand like that?!" Luffy exclaims back and that's all it takes for the bar to turn quiet. He freezes for a moment, looking around him in confusion.

"What?"

"Are you a caveman?" Usopp asks, with a deadpanned expression and his tone very serious. Luffy considers thinking about it. In one way or another, he kinda is. After all, he lives in a cave.

But that's probably not the answer Usopp wants to hear so Luffy says, "I don't know. Am I?"

"You tell me! Give me your hand, come on." Usopp says, not even trying to reason with the black-haired male. Luffy grins at him and Usopp rolls his eyes, taking Luffy's hand to Makino's. Makino giggles and reaches out her own hand again. Usopp firmly puts Luffy's thin fingers around Makino's hand and says, "That's how you do it. It's that damn simple. Now shake it."

It's Makino who does the shaking and Luffy forms an 'oh' with his lips before a happy smile appears on his face. Humans can be actually kind like that! He looks at Usopp and says, "Thank you, long nose! You're pretty kind for a – you're just pretty nice!"

Luffy nearly said it again but keeps it together this time. He already misspoke just mere moments ago but thank everything holy that no one caught on to it.

Maybe Ace is right about the part of humans not being very smart.

All the things in his head that Ace has told him about humans are very negative, now that Luffy thinks about it. Ace is right about almost everything except for one.

Humans are nice.

They are pretty damn nice.

Usopp blinks really fast at him for a couple of seconds before his face breaks out into a huge smile and he throws his arm around Luffy, who this time doesn't flinch away. He laughs and says, a cheerful voice, "You're not too bad yourself either. A little weird, but that's okay. All my friends are weird, you fit perfectly."

Robin giggles, watching Usopp with the eyes of a fond mother. Brook is laughing obnoxiously loud in the background but Luffy only likes that about the rather boney human. None of the humans he's met today fit the description that Ace has given him. Yes, Usopp has made it very clear that he doesn't like werewolves and from the looks of it, none of his friends do.

That stings. It hurts.

But Luffy knows for certain that he can make them change their mind. After all, he is one himself. He doesn't eat people. He would never hurt them in the first place. The only exception are the humans who hurt Law and Ace and the ones who killed his best friend.

But not Usopp and his friends.

Luffy chuckles a little at the cheerful atmosphere but he almost abruptly stops when a very strong and familiar smell meets his nose. Usopp is still too busy talking to Robin and Brook about being able to befriend Luffy and doesn't seem to notice Luffy's change in mood.

He frowns with both eyes, though excitement is building up inside of him. He moves his head up and follows the scent. His eyes go to the two swing doors that serve as the entrance of the Party Bar and his eyes start to sparkle at the sight of the two beings to whom the scent belongs.

Ace and Sabo.

His brothers are standing right outside the bar, immediately meeting his eyes. Ace's eyes comically widen and Luffy is ready to laugh about the funny sight when Sabo raises his finger to press it against his lip, urging Luffy to be quiet.

Luffy's smile fades away for a little bit and he narrows his eyes at his brothers, who are behaving rather weird. Ace starts gesturing with his hand to him, wildly signing to him to come outside. He looks like he is in a hurry and Luffy finally gets the message.

His brothers are here to come and pick him up.

Luffy makes an 'aah' with his lips and sends his brothers a reassuring smile before he moves back. He removes Usopp's arm, making the boy turn around in an instant. Luffy puts his arms behind his back, making eye-contact with all four humans in the room. He smiles widely and says, his voice loud and confident, "I have to go now. It was really nice to meet you all! I like you!"

"Oh. Right. You had to go somewhere, didn't you?" Usopp almost pouts and Luffy takes it as his perfect cue to turn around and leave. However, Usopp's shout makes him turn back with a confused look on his face and Usopp turns a little red before he speaks up, "Oi, my friends and I meet up almost every night, here at Party's Bar. It'd be cool if you'd show up every now and then."

Luffy grins at him, not making any promises. He so badly wants to go but he has to figure out how to do that without his brothers coming after him. He adores them, but they keep getting in the way of him making new friends. They've got friends of their own, why do they need to bother him? He understands they don't want him in the human village but after meeting all of Usopp's friends, Luffy's mind has changed a little.

It won't be that bad if he just comes here to see Usopp and all the others? They are nice and harmless, his brothers don't have to worry about anything. His parents don't even have to know. If they don't know anything, they won't worry either.

He makes up his mind and throws up a peace sign before he turns around to push open the swing doors to run outside. His brothers don't wait up for him and the very second he comes out, both Sabo and Ace make a dash for the forest. Luffy laughs and wastes no time in going after them, fastening his speed to catch up with them.

Ace tosses a look over his shoulder to make sure his little brother is there and bites his lip when Luffy joins his side, squeezing himself in between his brothers. He grins at them, almost apologetically, and says, as the three speed up to get out of the village even faster, "Humans aren't that bad, Ace."

"You made a fucking promise to us. Why the hell did you come back?" Ace snaps, jumping into the leaves of the first bush of the forest. He changes his feet and hands into paws and in order to keep up, so do Sabo and Luffy.

Luffy pouts and bites back, digging his paws into the muddy sand, "I had to! Otherwise long nose would have seen Chopper and Torao! I had to save them!"

Ace sighs annoyed and looks at Sabo for help. The blonde wolf wants to be stern with Luffy but just the mere fact that he is so cheerful and doesn't appear to be harmed, he just lets out a relieved sound and says, "Lu, we want you to be careful. Do you hear me? Not all humans are going to be like this.. long nosed human you speak of."

"But I don't need to meet the other humans, do I? Long nose is good enough for me!" Luffy reasons, like only he can. Ace groans and rolls his eyes. He head-butts his little brother and says, "Rubber brain."

"Don't call me that! _You_ have a rubber brain!" Luffy childishly exclaims but starts chuckling before he speeds up to run away from Ace, who runs after him with his face as well morphing into his wolf form out of pure excitement.

Sabo watches them and can't help but smile. All three of them came back safe and sound and that's all he cares about. His mind clouds a little when he thinks about the piece of paper, that he has safely tucked away in one of the pockets of his coat. The address is burning in his mind and Sabo knows that he won't throw it away.

Looking at his brothers play around makes him even more determined.

He can't let those two get back to the village but he knows that he is going to go tonight. As long as Ace and Luffy don't notice he's gone during the night, he can play it safe and not talk about it.

Sabo clears his throat, shakes away the clouds in his mind and runs after his brothers, flying between the trees with the speed of lighting.

"Wait up you two!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and hopefully until next time! :) xx**


	14. Chapter 13

**Happy New Year! This is the longest chapter I have written so far and the one with finally some proper action XD Don't worry to those who think it goes slow (which it does, I know), it'll start to speed up from now on. Most of the important details are out of the way so there is no need for those anymore:) Enjoy!**

* * *

"Do you even know the rules of this damn game, red head?! What was that supposed to be?"

"Hah?! You said something, you prick? You already deflated at least three balls in the course of a year. What else you've got to say?"

A loud roar, coming from Sabo, makes Ace and Kid not jump at each other's throat. Ace grumbles a little under his breath, growling towards his red haired friend, before he turns his head towards his blonde twin brother. Sabo is standing on the other side of the field with crossed arms and a hidden annoyed look on his face. He doesn't seem irritated but Ace knows Sabo inside out. The boy is very annoyed right now.

"Can you two airheads not start a fight over _everything_? It's soccer, there are clear rules. You don't need to kill each other over a missed goal." Sabo speaks up in a loud and clear voice, the calmness itself. Luffy, standing in the goal behind Sabo, that is nothing more than two sticks stuck into the soil, laughs loudly and exclaims, "You're both very funny!"

Ace's fist starts to twitch before he shouts back, "Shut the hell up, little brother! This is not a funny matter!" It doesn't simmer Luffy's good mood in any way but he does stop laughing as loud as he did. Chopper, who has decided to stay out of the game and is sitting on one of the few big rocks around the field, is sweating bullets and holds up his hands as he squeaks, "Guys, please. Let's just continue playing, alright? I really don't want Roger-san to come again and serve our heads on a silver plate."

Ace closes his eyes for a second, biting his lip as he doesn't want to be reminded of that. The last time he and Kid got too passionate about a game they were playing, his father showed up because of the loud noises. When he saw his son and Kid ready to fight, already changed into their werewolf form, he calmly walked up to them and kicked both of them away from each other with a very hard kick, his foot having changed into a very trained and muscular paw.

They were blue for a whole week.

"Do not tell me about my father. The man is insane." Ace snaps, rubbing his hands together. Bartolomeo, who is standing in the goal on Ace's side, snorts loudly and points at him, "Insane doesn't cover that man. Your father is bat shit crazy when it comes to it and I love it! Your father is awesome!"

Ace rolls his eyes but he doesn't comment on it. Sabo, however, thumbs up at him and Luffy starts chuckling before he says, "Of course dad is."

"Oi, oi, oi. Now that these two rocks-for-brains are out of each other's hair, can we continue the game or what? I didn't come out here to be freezing to death." Cavendish cuts off the talk about Roger, glaring at his teammates. He is wearing his hat, that should be keeping at least his head warm but apparently he is still feeling very cold. It's not so strange. They are out playing soccer in the middle of the night, with the hunting team out to find food. It was Luffy's idea to play a game again, since it has been so long since the last time they all went out together. Even Law has joined the party, though he hasn't done much. He is in Luffy's team, of course, and all he has been doing is kicking the balls away from the goal. He hasn't moved an inch from his current spot and it pisses Ace off that it has been working so far as well. He has been running around like mad and yet their team is behind.

How is beyond him. Luffy is not even such a great goal man but his body seems to be made out of rubber as not a single ball that hits him seems to hurt him. Sometimes Ace thinks Luffy is immune to pain but he knows better. Physically, Luffy is pretty stable but emotionally, he gets hurt way too often. He may act like he is okay, but Luffy can never keep a straight face through a lie.

Ace and Sabo know when he is not okay.

Bartolomeo laughs out loud and says, with a dirty grin on his face, "Is the little prince too cold? Do you want me to fetch you a blanket, your Majesty?"

"Die in a hole, fucking bastard."

Law is now the one to roll his eyes and he snaps, "OI! Kid-ya and Ace-ya are done acting like children, let's follow that example and continue this damned game already!"

"Wiser words have never been spoken." Sabo notes, nodding his head with closed eyes. Ace resists the urge to laugh at his brother's behavior and walks over to pick up the ball. The ball is the at least seventh ball that Shanks has brought back from the village. It's ripped in all places and not as sturdy as it used to be.

Not that it matters anyway. Playing soccer with a team of werewolves, who all turn into half-wolves the very second their competitive side comes out, always means that the ball will be ripped apart. Ace has deflated three balls with his claws as a goalie and Luffy has done so with the claws on his feet, kicking the ball away before it would have hit a very frightened Chopper.

Ace takes his place next to Chopper's rock and holds up the ball, looking around him for the best player to throw it at. He opts for Kid and throws it with all of his might before he runs onto the field himself.

As he is running around, he can't help but glance over to Sabo every so often. His brother serves as the referee, joining in on the running to keep up with the game. Sabo has been acting weird ever since they got back from the village, yesterday afternoon. Ace caught him sneaking off last night and managed to get a hold of him before he was out of the cave. Sabo didn't tell him a word about where he was planning on going. All Ace knows is that the very second Sabo realized he wasn't going to be able to leave without filling in Ace, he decided not to go anymore and simply told Ace he just wanted to get some fresh air.

Ace knows a lie when he hears it and that was definitely the worst lie he has ever heard from his twin brother.

Sabo is not a bad liar. He knows his way with words and has very often fooled the entire pack for his and his brothers' own good. However, Ace understands his twin brother better than anyone else. He knows him inside out, he can almost feel pain when Sabo is in pain and no matter how far the blonde is, Ace can always feel whenever his brother is in danger.

Sabo is very aware of this and Ace knows that all the blonde has been doing today, is coming up with a waterproof plan to sneak away to god knows what without either Ace or Luffy knowing a thing about it.

Ace is not going to let that happen.

Now staring right through Sabo's back, Ace watches his every move. Even now, during a simple soccer match, Ace can see that Sabo is still itching to flee to wherever he needs to be. Ace has no idea where Sabo has to be so badly that he found the need to lie to his brothers like that. They never keep secrets from each other. Luffy can't lie to save his life and they have a trust in each other that not a single other wolf has. There is no need to lie to one another.

Why did Sabo cross their one rule like that?

Ace is irritated that he doesn't know his brother enough to know where he wants to go. Did he see something in the human village that he wants to explore? Hopefully not because Ace doesn't need another human-obsessed brother in his family. But Sabo is better than that. Better and way more careful than Luffy will ever be. He too knows not to mingle with humans if it's not necessary.

Ace slightly flinches at the thought of it. Just yesterday he ignored his own rules by saying yes to the blonde human – Marco. Damn it, he can't even call him a mere human anymore now that he has a name to put to that face. Ace groans as he slows down, his mind now clouded by just Marco. Not even that other human (what was his name again? Thatcher? Something like that) left this much of an impression behind.

It makes zero sense. Humans aren't worth anything, not even a glance. They are nothing but ruthless monsters and there is nothing on this planet that Ace hates more than them. Why is it that this damn Marco keeps coming back in his mind?

Why was it Marco who found him the other day? Why, why, _why_?

Ace wanted nothing to do with humans in the first place. They are not to be trusted, he has learned that the hard way. They are all like that. After all, there wasn't a single human who went out their way to stop the hunters. They were all cheering in the background and when Luffy finally came back to his senses yesterday, he told them with a pout how 'his' humans all seemed so happy about the death from so many years ago.

It just confirms all of Ace's thoughts about them.

Ace closes his eyes for a couple of seconds, clearing his mind from the thoughts that keep swimming around. Sabo is long on the other side of the field, lazily leaning against a tree as he focuses on the ball that is currently in Bartolomeo's hands.

How much did he just miss from the game?

"Oi, Ace. Pay attention. I might throw it at your head if you keep spacing out like that." Bartolomeo calls out at him, raising his hands above his head with a smirk resting on his lips. Ace flips him off and gets in position, ignoring the shouting from Luffy that comes from behind him.

Ace's eyes can't help themselves from glancing over at Sabo but this time, he doesn't find his brother contemplating about life. Sabo suddenly seems tense, pushing himself away from the tree he was just leaning against. He takes off his hat, his ears perking up into the left direction.

Ace walks forward, calling out, his voice slightly strained, "Oi, Sabo? What's wrong?"

"Hide." Sabo ushers out, staring into the distance with his mouth slightly open. He almost stands frozen, if it isn't for the twitching of his hands.

Bartolomeo frowns and turns around, moving his arms down in the process. He stares at the blonde behind him and asks, "What?"

"Just listen to me. Hide. Fucking hide." Sabo says, this time a little louder. He walks away from the tree in a fast pace, straight towards Ace. With a swift motion, he firmly plants a hand on his brother's shoulder and repeats, looking around him, locking eyes with every single wolf on the field, "Humans. I can smell a human, not too far from here."

"EEH?!" Chopper squeaks, jumping up while holding his hands in front of his face. His relaxed pose quickly snapped to a very frightened one as he is shaking on top of the rock. Luffy walks away from the goal, looking at his brothers in all seriousness. He puts his hand on his hat and asks, "Is it a hunter?"

Sabo tightly presses his lips into a thin line and sniffs the air. Hunters have a specific smell around them. The scent of iron, the scent of blood. As hunters always carry iron bullets with them it is easy to separate an ordinary civilian from a blood-thirsty hunter.

He narrows his eyes and leans away from Ace, keeping the hand on his shoulder, as a protective gesture towards his brother. He throws a swift look over his shoulder before he confirms Luffy's feelings.

"A hunter. 600 yard away from our current location." Sabo tells them, his eyes still narrowed into a direction ahead of the field, not tearing them away for a second. Ace's shoulders start to tense and he can feel the air getting tense as well. Bartolomeo has dropped the ball, Kid's teeth are baring as he glares into the same direction Sabo is looking into and Cavendish has frozen right on the spot.

Law is not showing any emotion but the way his hand is curling up into a tight ball speaks volumes. Chopper has gone pale as the whitest piece of paper and is shaking, eyes solely focused on both Law and Luffy. Once Kureha is not around, Chopper heavily relays on his two best friends, whom he looks up to like no other. Luffy seems brainless for most of the time, but in times like these, even Ace can relay on his little brother.

Luffy is strong. He can't always stay in control, but he is strong. Most of the time he goes into action without a plan but somehow it always works out. At least, for the most part.

Right now, Luffy is on high alert. He has joined Chopper's side, who immediately grabs his shirt for comfort. Luffy's gaze is dark but he doesn't say anything. He reaches out his hand to pat Chopper on the head and Law says, a sneer in his voice to conceal the hidden concern, "We're too far away form the cave to go back home. The hunting team is out somewhere, far away from where we are. Where do you want us to go? How big is the chance the hunter is going to come here?"

"At this moment? Very high. His scent gets stronger with every second we are talking here. I'm not joking around. We need to hide and we need to do it now." Sabo says, not missing a beat. He looks around him, meeting everyone's eye, before he points to the bushes behind them.

"Hurry up. I don't want to end up being hanged tonight."

* * *

"L-Luffy! I don't want to die! I'm too young to die!"

Luffy grabs Chopper's hand and pulls him close, daring to peek between the leaves to see if the hunter is already here. It's awfully silent in the forest and the only sounds so far are the birds high up in the trees and the rustling of the leaves. A owl is hooting in a far distance and the crickets have just woken up, joining in on the animal choir.

"What are you talking about, Chopper~? You're not going to die! Nobody is going to die tonight!" Luffy replies, forever in high spirits. Though, of course he feels the burden on his shoulder to make sure that Chopper won't get a panic attack. He doesn't want his younger friend to flip out and get more frightened than he already is. Luffy always finds it amusing whenever Chopper loses his chill but at times like these, Luffy knows better than to start laughing.

He can't laugh when his friend is in pain or seriously scared.

"Oi, Luffy-ya! Move away from those leaves! You're going to give us all away like that!" Law's voice hisses in his ear, sounding very angry. Luffy turns to look to his left, finding Law sitting right next to him with an angry scoff on his face. He is gritting his teeth and Luffy can hear it. Law only does that when he is nervous, Luffy has learned that over the years he has spent with his best friend.

Now Luffy can't stop himself from letting out a silent chuckle before he asks in a hush, feeling his brothers' urgent eyes burning through his back, "Are you scared, Torao? Don't be, I'm here after all!"

"How does that make this situation any better?! Fucking damn it! I want to go home already!" Cavendish cries out, shutting his eyes out of frustration. Bartolomeo slaps his hand over Cavendish's mouth, hissing at him as he crawls a little closer to his friend, "Oi, blondie! Don't talk so loud! If we end up getting caught because of your big mouth, I'll kill you before the hunters get the chance to lay a finger on you!"

Cavendish licks his hands, successfully making Bartolomeo remove his hand. He rubs his mouth with the back of his hand and snaps, now keeping his voice low as he moves one hand up to press down the big feather on his hat, "Thanks for the concern, green blockhead. I'd like to see you try."

In any other situation, Luffy would loudly laugh at their antics. Bartolomeo and Cavendish are really funny wolves, even if they don't know it themselves. But if he laughs now, his brothers will be very cross with him. Considering how angry Ace and Sabo were just a week ago, Luffy doesn't want to repeat that and decides to be really smart.

He does giggle a little when Law softly taps him on the back of his head, warning him not to make a joke like that ever again. Chopper is still shaking in his arms and Luffy pouts at his little friend, feeling very bad for him. The other side of him is slowly getting more aggravated though, not liking the fact that a stupid hunter is scaring all of his friends. His friends and his brothers. Said twins are right behind Luffy, in such a position that they are ready to lash out in case the hunter's head pops up between the bushes.

"... damn him and his genius senses. If he wasn't the boss, I would have never believed a word that comes out of his mouth."

Luffy stiffens at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and with the speed of a rabbit, Luffy turns back to the bushes, only to be pulled back right away. Ace has got a firm hold of his shoulder and Law's hand is resting on his arm as well, keeping him away from the leaves. Chopper has gone pale all over again and Luffy is starting to fear that he might faint from fear.

Kid is right behind Law and can't stop himself from leaning in, trying to lay as low as possible. Cavendish is cowering away against the tree and Bartolomeo is not leaving his side, keeping a subtle hand on the blonde's thigh. He is never the one to blatantly tell the world that he cares for his best friend but in small actions like that it is pretty obvious how protective he really is of his blonde best friend.

Sabo presses his finger against his lips and crawls forward, ignoring Ace's hissing and mumbling. Luffy watches his every move, craning his neck slightly when Sabo very carefully pushes a couple of leaves and branches aside. His brother narrows his eyes and glances through his self-made opening, looking straight at the hunter in question.

"And?! What does he look like?" Luffy whispers, suddenly a little excited. Ace pinches him in his shoulder as he snaps in a hush voice, "Why the hell does that matter?! Keep your voice down, or even better, don't talk at all!"

Luffy pouts but decides to listen to his brother. He still does not remove his eyes from Sabo though and moves his ears up to hear the hunter better, who is mumbling all kind of things to himself as he makes his way through the forest.

It is a low and deep voice, that seems to be lacking a sense of enthusiasm and excitement. The way he is dragging his feet doesn't indicate any sign of happiness either and Luffy thinks that the man is not here on his own will.

"Shit. It doesn't look like there is anything here. Fucking damn it, if boss's guts are lying he is going to be angry at _me_."

 _Boss_?

'What is he talking about?' Luffy thinks, one eye slightly twitching as his brains start to work, or at least try to work as hard as they can.

Sabo is frozen in the spot, being the only one who can see the hunter. Luffy can see sweat rolling down his temple and he knows that Sabo has figured out why the hunter is here. That's very frustrating. Luffy wants to know it too. Darn it, this isn't fair at all. Why is that Sabo can put pieces of every single mystery together like a piece of cake while Luffy has to spend weeks before he can finally figure the truth about something?

The footsteps come to a halt and Luffy can hear the man turn around on his heels, seemingly ready to go back to the village. However, he stops all of a sudden and Luffy hears Sabo hitch his breath. The same sound leaves the hunter's lips, though it a much more joyful manner.

"Damn – fuck! Yes! No, wait.. Ah, fuck it. Yes! Fucking finally."

Sabo's eyes move down, indicating that the hunter is leaning down. Luffy now has no idea what is going on anymore and has to solely base all of his information on Sabo's odd reactions. Sabo's eyes have widened and he is gone awfully pale, much to Luffy's concern. He can feel Ace tense all over again, squeezing Luffy's shoulders as an attempt to release the tension. They are all now looking at Sabo, each showing their growing concern in their way. Luffy has tilted his head to the side, keeping one ear up just to try and pick up more noises.

All he can hear is the shuffling of sand, following by another loud cheer. It doesn't take long for the hunter to now run away and the very second Sabo raises his hand, as a sign that the hunter is out of sight, a wave of relief flows over the group. Cavendish releases a very loud sigh and Chopper cries out, "Darn this whole world! I thought this was going to be my last day on earth!"

"Ma~! Don't overreact, Chopper! I told you so, didn't I?! I can't lie!" Luffy exclaims, getting rid of all the laughter than he has been struggling to keep inside. He hugs Chopper close and turns his head around to smile widely at Law. Law rolls his eyes but he too is looking very relieved about the fact that the hunter didn't even notice their presence.

Luffy snickers. What a lousy hunter. Most of them would feel the presence of a werewolf this close right off the bat but this one didn't even try to look for a wolf. He guesses he should consider himself lucky about that fact. If this were to be another hunter, who knows how this night would have turned out.

The hands disappear from Luffy's shoulders and he turns around. Ace is jumping over to Sabo and reaches out his hand to touch his twin's arm, starting to shake it before he urges, "What the hell was going on, oi?! What did you see?"

All eyes are focused on Sabo now and Luffy wastes no time in walking over to his brothers. He pushes himself between the two and looks up at Sabo, mentally asking him the same thing.

"You usually are the last one to mentally freak out like that. How serious was it?" Kid asks, not a single hint of joking around in his voice. Sabo looks up at them, licks his lips for a mere second and says, "That hunter did not come here to catch a werewolf. He must have been sent here by their leader or something. I don't care. Cutting all the bullshit, this man was looking for our footprints and he found one. Those fuckers wanted to make sure we are still here."

"What?! What do you mean?! What's going to happen to us now?!" Chopper cries out, wrapping his arms around Law's long leg. Law doesn't say anything about it, too used to it by now, and instead speaks up in a low voice, not looking at Sabo, "Of course. We haven't had a single hunter up our asses for the past nine years. I don't know what had happened but they left the village and have now come back."

Kid growls loudly and snaps, crossing his arms as he spits on the ground, "The bastards thought we had left by now. Sending out little scouts just to check whether or not our pack is still around. It looks like we're going to have to be a lot more careful from now on."

"Whose paw was it? Any of you guys?" Bartolomeo asks, sending glances at every single wolf in the circle. Cavendish jumps out of the bush and walks over to the paw. He crosses his arms and calls out, "That can't be it, Barto! The paw is too big for any of us! It must have been one of the older wolves!"

As if they heard they were talking about them, a big black wolf jumps out of the bushes on the side of the road and stops right in the middle. It locks eyes with the freaked out Cavendish and seems to be calming down a little. However, the wolf is panting, standing on two paws as he scans the area. Behind him appear more and more wolves, all in the same state. Some a little less sweaty, but there isn't one that doesn't look he just ran fifty miles.

Luffy's head pops up and at the sight of the front black wolf, a big smile appears on his face and he cries out with joy, "Da!"

The wolf's head immediately snaps to the side and he lets out a howl, dashing towards Luffy. In the process of running, he turns back to his human form with only his hands and feet still being paws. Luffy laughs and jumps out of the bushes, running towards his father. Roger stands up once Luffy is within reach and grabs his arm to pull him into a tight embrace.

"Da, you're choking me!" Luffy tries to say, pushing against his father's arms. Roger doesn't let go though and says, in a very relieved and breathy voice, "You're alright. Thank god you're alright. Damn it, you got me so worried. Where are your brothers? Where are the other boys?"

Right on cue, both Ace and Sabo move up and Roger lets out an even louder sigh of relief. He gestures to them to come over and once they are near, he grabs their arms as well to pull them into his tight embrace.

"Damn it, da! Let go of us!" Ace cries out. Roger shakes his head and snaps, putting his hand on Luffy's head, "I thought I was going to lose you for a second. Let me be a relieved dad for a second here."

"Law! Where the hell is Law?!" Rocinante's voice cuts through the air, running past Roger the very second Law sets foot out of the bushes, still with a shaking Chopper attached to his leg. Law groans a little annoyed but he can not hide his happiness at the sight of Rocinante and lets the older man check him all over for possible injuries.

"Cora-san, knock it off. Nothing happened. Stop worrying like that." Law speaks up in his usual lazy voice bur Corazon shakes his head before he says, shaking Law around, "Never! The moment we sensed a hunter in the forest I started fearing for your life! With you and the other boys out in the forest, vulnerable and alone like that! Are you a hundred percent sure that that lowly hunter didn't hurt you?"

"He didn't even notice us. I'm pretty damn sure."

Chopper lets out a sudden sob and lashes himself onto Rayleigh, who was inspecting the area together with Shanks and Benn. He attaches himself to his leg and cries out, "I'm so happy you are here! I thought he was going to skin us all alive!"

Rayleigh lets out a breathy chuckle and pets Chopper on the head, telling him with a sense of relief in his voice, "Then it's good that we're here, right? We weren't going to let anything happen to our precious little ones."

"Cut it out, old man. We're not so little anymore. We can defend ourselves, you don't need to jump to our help every single damn time." Kid snaps, ruffling his bright red hair back into place as he makes way to the main road. Shanks shouts a loud 'Haah!' at the mere sight of Kid and speed walks towards him, causing Kid to set a few steps back. He isn't fast enough and before he even has the chance to run away, Shanks has already wrapped his arm around Kid's shoulder and says in a loud and overly cheerful voice, "My boy is still in one piece! I knew I didn't have to worry about your safety, but you still got me a little concerned, son. It's such a relief to see you're doing fine. That counts for all of you."

He looks around at all the boys and smiles widely, knowing that none of them ended up hurt. Cavendish, who has been leaning against a tree with one hand to get himself to fully calm down, turns his glance over to Buggy, who on the other hand has been trying not to show any sign of worry on his face and who is standing a little away from the group with a semi-annoyed glare. Buggy doesn't have a teenage wolf to take care of and therefore deems it stupid to go around and worry about their well-being. At least, that's his theory. In real life, he too would sacrifice himself to save one of the younger ones.

"How did you guys know the hunter was so close to us? As a matter of fact, how nearby were you to be able to smell him like that?" Cavendish asks, directing the question at everyone but keeping his eyes on Buggy. Buggy takes it as his cue to answer and he says, with annoyance in his voice, "We are not untrained little cubs like you. Our noses have developed an incredible sense of smell."

There is a sense of pride in his voice but Crocodile, who has been silently watching the scene unfold in the corner, breaks that pride into little pieces as he says in his usual low voice, "The clown ain't lying, but he is being prideful."

"OI-"

"We can pick up any scent within a ratio of 2,75 miles. The hunter happened to be within that ratio." Crocodile calmly finishes, not even glancing at the fuming Buggy. Roger nods, agreeing with Crocodile, and adds to that, not letting go of the three boys in his arms, "We were on our way back but left our preys behind once we sensed the hunter too close to you."

Ace now rips himself away from his father's arms and exclaims a loud, "What!" before he points at Roger to continue, "You left our food behind to save our asses?! Da, we didn't need any saving! That hunter wasn't here to catch wolves in the first place!"

Roger frowns at that and shares the same look with all of the older wolves. Rayleigh comes a little closer, Chopper not once letting go of him, and asks in a calm voice, "Ace, what are you talking about?"

"You're funny, boy. You mean to tell us that a _human hunter_ wasn't out for your pretty little head? That's a first." Doflamingo smirks, standing right next to his little brother and with his hand reaching out to pat Law on the head. Law doesn't hesitate to bite in said hand and while Doflamingo keeps the smirk on his face, he immediately retracts the hand with a painful glance in his eyes.

Luffy chuckles at the sight of it and untangles himself from his father's arms as well. He crosses his arms and says, trying to meet Rayleigh's eyes, "Yeah, Sabo said so! He saw him! Doing weird things."

He turns his head to look at his brother, telling him with his eyes to speak up. Sabo sighs and he too moves away from Roger. He ruffles his hair and says, all jokes aside, "He is telling the truth. While we were hiding for the hunter, I managed to get a look at what he was doing. He wasn't looking around to find us. As a matter of fact, he didn't even seem to notice we were nearby. The only thing he was looking for, was a footprint. One of ours."

"I should have known. I should have known that once they got back, they would try and check if our pack is still in this area." Roger mutters out loud, biting on his lip as he turns his eyes to Rayleigh, his most trusted right hand. Rayleigh doesn't say anything but Shanks does as he asks, "Did he find anything?"

Sabo points to a spot behind them and when they turn around, the print is freshly left behind in the sand. Roger curses and walks into the direction of the cave, only stopping to look up at the dark sky.

"Buggy, Shanks, Benn. Get our catch for tonight. Rayleigh, Cora, take the boys home. I'll check the forest with Crocodile's and Doflamingo to make sure the man is really gone."

"But, da-" Luffy starts but pouts when Roger turns around to gently shush him, waving his hand at him as he says, "It's alright, little one. Just go back to your mother and stay there. I'll be back before you know it."

Luffy believes his father and nods, making himself smile at the older man. He trusts his father like he trusts his brothers. If one of his family members tells him they'll be fine, Luffy knows they'll actually be fine.

"Yosh! Rayleigh-san, let's go home!"

* * *

Sanji frowns at the sound of a very deep sigh, coming from Ivankov. The man is seated at one of the many tables in the restaurants, joined by Koala and Hack. It's only 11 in the morning but Ivankov already looks done with the day. At least, that's the vibe Sanji is currently getting.

"What's with the deep sigh? Do I even want to know?" Sanji therefore asks, putting the plates with breakfast on the table. He makes it extra special with Koala's dish and swoons, "For you, my lady. Made from love, for my love." Koala giggles at the affection and says, "Thanks, Sanji-san. I'm sure I'll like it."

Sanji smiles but it disappears when he basically throws the plate in front of Hack and says, with little of emotion left in his voice, "Here." Hack pouts and snaps, "Why are you so cold?! I deserve a nice waiter as well!"

"Don't even bother, Hack! Cook is a special case. Wear a pretty wig and he'll be all over you."

Sanji's left eye starts to twitch once Zoro's voice cuts through the air. The damn barbarian has had the nerve to show up this early in the morning, demanding food like he is some sort of king. Sanji was on the verge of kicking him out but then his lovely sister came inside with the news that she and her brother haven't had a breakfast together in a long time. Zoro's smirk was one that was just asking to be smacked off his ugly face but who was Sanji to deny a request from a beautiful lady such as Perona?

Sanji turns around on his heels and snaps at him, raising his fist, "I will send you to the other side of the world if you utter one more word, green bastard!"

"What did you call me?! You blonde clown!" Zoro exclaims back, making gestures to push himself up on his feet. However, Perona groans loudly and grabs Zoro's arm, snapping at him in a very annoyed voice, "Oi! Onii-chan! Knock it off already! I came here to eat, not to watch you lose another eye!"

Sanji immediately smiles at her but Zoro doesn't. He turns around and shouts, "Hah?! Is that the amount of trust you have in me?! Who was the one that had to remove the spider nest from your room because 'big brother is strong and not scared of anything'? Bribing me like that, damn pink shithead." Sanji reaches out his hand, grabbing Zoro in his collar but Perona simply snorts, not minding her brother's words at all.

"Whatever, big brother. Just fucking eat already, isn't that why we came here? You're not going to let poor Sanji-kun's efforts go to waste, are you?" Perona almost purrs, turning her eyes to the love-struck Sanji. The blonde lets go of Zoro in order to grab his sister's hand as he swoons once again, "My lady, your words flatter me!"

"Oi, let go of her hand." Zoro growls. Sanji rolls his eyes at his friend but it is Patty who shows up out of the blue to grab Sanji by his collar. The muscular man pulls Sanji up and groans, heavily breathing against the back of Sanji's neck, "You have better things to do in life, little brat. Get back to the kitchen and do some actual work for once."

Zoro has the audacity to smirk at him, finally sitting back down. Sanji starts pulling his arm away from Patty's firm grip, cursing all kind of obscurities at him. Patty is too used to it to be actually offended and just snorts at the blonde's poor efforts.

"Cook-boy! Are you just going to ignore my feelings now?!" Ivankov then shouts, barely stopping himself from slamming his hand against the table. Patty frowns at Sanji and mutters, "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing."

Sanji turns bright red and exclaims, "I am not, shithead! And you! No, I've lost interest in whatever made you feel like a deflated potato already."

"Rude. I will tell you anyway."

"Why did I even bother?" Sanji sighs out loud and finally manages to free himself from Patty. He rubs his arm and snaps, "I'll be right back, alright? Don't act so damn uptight."

Patty snorts, hits Sanji behind his head but actually leaves. He quickly cleans up a table before he disappears into the kitchen. Sanji watches him go before he crosses his arm, the cloth that has been carrying around this whole morning loosely falling over his rolled up sleeve. He locks eyes with Ivankov and asks, much to his dismay, "What's wrong?"

"Everything! A couple of days ago – no, just two days – I met a guy here. A new one, I hadn't seen him before." Ivankov starts off and Zoro already butts in, leaning towards their table as he asks, "Did he have black hair? Was he wearing a straw hat?"

"No, why? Did I miss even more people coming to live here?" Ivankov asks, almost in a guilty tone. Sanji waves his hand and clarifies, "We don't even know whether or not he even lives here. He just comes and goes as he pleases. He's nice though, for a guy. Also Usopp seems to really like him so it's just whatever."

Perona rests her chin in the palm of her hands, asking with a grin, "Oh? Am I hearing that correctly? Is onii-chan making friends? How cute!" Zoro flushes a red color and ducks his head away from the table, muttering, "Shut the hell up."

"Really cute. You should introduce him sometime. Anyway, as I was saying. A guy. He had blonde, wavy hair. Wore a hat as well, but not a straw hat. He was some oddball, let me tell you that. Didn't even know Teach. Not that I care about that, Teach is a douchebag after all." Ivankov continues. Sanji rolls his eyes again and points out, "Douchebag or not, he does keep the village safe."

"Safe from what?! Werewolves?! There hasn't been a single wolf spotted near Foosha Village in the time he was gone nor will they show up again, especially with them here now. I don't understand what makes you boys act like this, when the werewolves are not a bother to any of us!" Ivankov snaps. Now slamming his hand against the table. Perona slightly flinches and says, her voice smaller, "Didn't they kill them all, nine years ago? I'm pretty sure that's what they said. And if that wasn't the case, then they scared them off enough not to come near our borders. I'd say they've done a great job."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Go be angry at people that haven't done anything wrong. You know what I'd say? Humans are far worse than werewolves. While we're out there trying to kill them, they are trying to stay alive." Koala complains, looking up at Sanji. The blonde gulps but he doesn't say anything. He doesn't agree with her, for once. No matter how cute she is, he can't say humans are worse than werewolves. Granted, he hasn't ever met one, but it remains a fact that werewolves are stronger than humans. He doesn't like thinking about it, but it's true. Even if they don't want to kill, it's in their blood. After all, they have the blood of a wild animal flowing through them. They ought to lose control at the sight of a human.

 _They are wild animals_.

Ivankov snaps his fingers in the air, gathering all the attention back on him again. He clears his throat and continues, "A blonde guy. Teach was about to fight him for bumping into him but I managed to save his ass before Douchebag could lay a finger on the little one. I thought I could continue my way to those two over there, because I was already late, but no. Blondie followed me and demanded who I was and what I did in life."

"Did you tell him?" Sanji asks and it's Koala who exclaims, "Of course this dumbass did! Doesn't even once consider our feelings! We're not an organization that just flaunts our name around like that but that's exactly what Ivan did."

"Excuse you, he forced me to say it! Why, I don't know but he was interested in it. As a matter of fact, it became quite clear that he doesn't like hunters. Not one bit." Ivankov interferes, glaring at Koala. She snorts but doesn't start another useless argument. Zoro, however, frowns and asks, "He doesn't like hunters? What, is he just like you?"

"I'll take that as a compliment and yes, he was just like me. I gave him our address and told him to meet us there, that same night. But that guy never showed up! He stood me up! Damn it! If he lied to me to get information, I'll kill him with my bare hands!"

Sanji sneers and snaps, slapping Ivankov on the back of his head with his cloth, "That's what you get for throwing around information like that. Some useless member you are."

Ivankov wants to say something back when another customer walks in, making his entrance very dramatic it seems. Sanji turns around and finds Teach standing there, all by himself but with the confidence of thousands. The man's eyes roam the restaurant and end up on Sanji. He smirks and makes his way over to the cook.

Ivankov, Koala and Hack all look away from the man, failing to hide their obvious disgust. Teach greets them all and snorts at the sight of the three, taunting, "Is my presence too much for you lone wolves?"

"I think hell has a special seat for you reserved." Koala calmly bites back, glaring at him before she ducks her head again. Teach chooses to ignore it and turns to look at Sanji again as he asks, "But I'm not here to fight. I'm here to see your father. Is he here by any chance?"

Sanji shakes his head, "He just left to buy new vegetables. Whatever you want to tell him, you can say to me." Teach sighs and runs a hand through his greasy hair before he says, "That will have to do, I guess. Last night, I sent out Bluejam to inspect the forest. Much to my dismay, he has found footprints that belong to werewolves."

"EH?! They are still here?!" Perona cries out. Zoro groans and says, "Whatever, Perona. They are not going to come here any time soon."

"But, my boy, that's why I'm here." Teach says, now directing his attention towards Zoro. The green-haired guy raises an eyebrow and Teach continues, "The footsteps were too close to the border and I fear that they might start attempting to cross it. I'm here to warn you about the possibility of a wolf roaming through your kitchen at night. After all, they are still animals and animals are willing to do anything for a little bit of food."

Sanji smiles at the ground, taking out his cigarette. He looks up again, puts the cigarette back in and states, "You don't need to worry about that. Werewolves will not be able to get past either me or my dad. They wouldn't dare come near the restaurant. Not when I'm here."

Teach smiles in a weird way but he thumbs up and says, "That's all I wanted to say. But still, all of you. Be careful when you go into the forest from now on. Before you know it you've ended up between the teeth of a blood-thirsty wolf."

"Don't be dramatic." Hack snaps but he is ignored in favor of them thanking Teach for the information. Sanji doesn't say anything and just takes another drag of his cigarette.

It seems to him that life is going to get a little excited again.

* * *

Marco isn't sure why the hell he is doing what he is doing, but he is currently standing behind a tree with his eyes fixed on Teach. It's already very dark outside and most of the people are inside their homes. The Moby Dick has closed and only Marco was still around to clean up the last bits and pieces from the day. It was a busy day today, with so many new people coming in and out to buy their latest products.

Teach walked in in the late afternoon, only stopping by to tell them about how he and the other hunters have found evidence of werewolves still living in the forest. That they need to be careful from now on. He even offered to be their own official hunter from today on. Of course, Whitebeard immediately refused any help from the hunters. It was quite clear how he didn't like the fact that the hunters are out for blood again and while Teach tried to tell him they are only protecting the villagers, Whitebeard didn't buy it. As a matter of fact, the whole company didn't buy it. Marco really doesn't care much about the presence of werewolves in their forest since he barely goes there anyway but knowing they are still around doesn't change a thing.

But after closing up the Moby Dick, Marco saw Teach and a couple of other hunters make their way towards the forest, carrying boxes in their arms. It's strange for anyone to go to the forest at this time of day and while normally Marco doesn't try to pry into other people's business, this wasn't just another human.

This was Teach.

The same Teach that would do anything to kill a werewolf in cold blood. To kill something as innocent as a child wolf. Marco obviously knows about the incident from nine years ago. He was there. He didn't see Teach kill the wolf but he heard it. The thought of it leaves shivers down his spine. It was a werewolf, but it was a child for as far as Marco reckons. It was a young werewolf who most likely was not out for blood.

Yet Teach killed him in broad daylight.

Marco hates to think this way, but he doesn't trust his friend. Not like he used to at least. Which is why he is currently following Teach and his mates at a close distance, but far enough to not be seen or heard.

Teach is roaming around the entire forest, with the other hunters each going into a different direction. Teach is staying close to the border and has put his box not too far from Marco's hiding spot. He takes out very weird looking devices and places them all around the forest. Marco leans in a little closer and the moment he realizes what they are, he closes his eyes and bites his lip in anger.

Traps. They are traps. Of course they are traps. He should have known that Teach was going to pull some sort of stunt after scaring everyone in the forest about the possibility of another pack still living in the forest.

Teach is trying to catch a werewolf like that, probably having learnt a trick or two during his journey away from the village. Marco glares at the traps and while the idea of Teach lying about wolves being here has been playing his mind the whole day, there is this underlying fear that he might have told the truth and there one day, a werewolf might end up in these traps.

The idea is painful and Marco shakes his head, curling his fingers up into little balls.

He ducks away when Teach comes closer and picks up the box. There is a dirty smirk resting on his lips and before he leaves, he checks all the traps. They look like iron teeth, ready to shut close when someone's limp ends up between them. Teach is smart enough not to touch them and with the same disgusting smirk still on his face, he walks back towards the village.

Marco is still standing behind the tree when Teach is completely out of sight and he sighs, rubbing his head in annoyance. He steps away from the tree and walks closer to the nearby trap. It is hidden between the leaves of a bush, easily being overlooked. Marco doesn't know much about wolves, let alone werewolves, but he knows that they run around almost mindlessly, not looking down on the ground. It's almost too easy to catch one with traps like these.

"What a bunch of cowards, yoi. Can't even do the job themselves." Marco mutters to himself, wise enough not to lay a finger on the sharp iron. He sets a couple of steps backwards and decides that he should go back home. Marco turns around on his heels but the very second he is staring into the direction of the village, a loud scream cuts through the air.

It's short but enough for Marco to not think about it and turn around with the speed of lighting. He doesn't waste a single second and dashes towards the sound, careful not to walk into any of the traps that the hunters have laid out.

With almost frustration, Marco looks around him as he doesn't see anything. He runs a little further and is about to give up when he hears a small whimper, very nearby him. He looks up and around him before he slowly turns around. Right behind him is a body, laying on the ground. Marco's breath hitches and he walks closer.

Once he is close enough, he can see it's a boy, or rather, a guy. His hand is holding his leg with a very forceful grip and Marco's eyes travel down the leg. He freezes when he notices the trap around the guy's leg, biting into his skin.

Marco looks up again, opening his mouth to ask if the guy is okay. But the very second he looks up, Marco's breath hitches again. It's not just a random guy. Marco recognizes that black hair. However, there is no cowboy hat covering the hair.

What Marco sees is beyond his imagination and Marco's eyes widen when he realizes he isn't dreaming.

Right between the thick black hair are two fluffy ears, one up and the other hanging down. The guy is looking right at him, with eyes wide as a teacup and fear in them.

Marco gapes at him for a second.

Two furry ears.

The rude stranger has two black furry ears. Widened, yellow eyes are staring back at him.

Marco has never met a single werewolf in his life but this much is true.

The rude stranger is a werewolf.

* * *

 **Too soon? Too late? Things will only get better from now on XD Thanks for reading! xx (Also, happy birthday to Ace! A little late, but I can't not say it to my favorite character)**


	15. Chapter 14

**I wanted to update this yesterday but this site was being a pain so here you go. I hope you'll enjoy it a little more now;)**

* * *

The pain is unbearable. Iron teeth are biting through his flesh like it's made out of paper and they are only digging deeper the longer it stay around his ankle. Blood is dripping down his leg, all over his boots. The boot that has managed to end up in the trap is close to be ripped apart and Ace wants to scream bloody murder.

But the boots are the least of his worries. He wants to get away, he wants to get away so badly. He is panicking and one look at Marco, who is still standing above him and staring at him with narrowed eyes, only makes it worse. Marco hasn't said a single word yet, only having been looking at Ace with an odd glance in his eyes that Ace cannot explain. The blonde seems frozen.

Ace's whole body is shaking with fear and this time he is not going to deny himself those feelings. Because he is scared. He is terrified. Not just for himself, but for the entire pack. This is the end of everything. No, even worse. The pain from nine years ago is going to start all over again. Marco is going to take him with him, hand him over to the hunters. The hunters are going to kill him and then look for the pack.

One wolf means a whole pack.

He has endangered his family. Fucking damn this all! Why of all days did Sabo have to sneak out tonight again? Why of all days did the hunters have to put out traps like this tonight? When did they even do that? There is absolutely no doubt this is the hunters' doing. His father already warned him about possible actions that could be taken now that they are aware of the fact the wolves are still living in the forest.

How should he have known that the very next night he would end up in a dangerous trap that can easily be his end?

Fucking Sabo. Ace has never hated him this much in his entire life. He thought he had him in the palm of his hand after catching him of guard like that. Sabo clearly had other plans. He snuck out tonight, right after their dinner. Everybody was too busy cleaning up the left over bones but Ace wasn't. He had kept his eye on his twin the entire time and saw him get up to leave. Ace didn't call out for him because of the others around him but he basically ran after the blonde and only shouted his name the moment they were out of the cave.

Sabo started to run like a maniac and it left Ace no other choice than to run after him. Sabo is fast but so it Ace. However, Sabo did not end up with his paw in a trap yet Ace did. Sabo took another road and avoided the pain. Ace wasn't that smart and just ran straight ahead, thinking he was going to catch up with his brother in no time.

He never saw the trap between the bushes and the moment he felt something dig itself into his leg, Ace let out a loud scream and fell down to the ground. There was no one else around and Sabo was long gone. Ace couldn't move his leg and the thought of dying like this was already playing itself in his mind when out of nowhere, a human came running up to him.

Marco.

Of course it has to be Marco. The blonde is the only human that somehow always shows up at the worst timings. This is definitely one of them but Ace can't even get mad at him. No, rather than anger, all he feels is fear and the bubbling anxiety of an awaiting death.

Is Marco the one who put out the trap? Damn the whole world if Marco turns out to be one of them.

Trying so hard to ignore the pain, Ace clenches his teeth together for a long second before he screams, his voice a pitch higher because he is so terrified, "Leave me alone! Fucking get away from me, right now! Stay the fuck where you are, damn it!"

"Oi, oi, oi. Don't be afraid, yoi. I won't do anything to you." Marco finally starts talking, his voice strangely soft and gentle as he raises his hands in self-defense. He slowly hovers over Ace's fallen body and Ace immediately shouts, "NO! Go away, don't touch me!"

"I won't hurt you, yoi. I want to get that awful trap off your leg. Can I do that, yoi?" Marco seriously asks that question and if Ace wasn't so far with his thoughts he would have noticed the concern in the blonde's voice. But Ace can't hear it and cries out, "No, you leave me alone! I-I don't want you or any other hunter to take me with you! Get away from me!"

Marco sighs and still bends down, against all Ace's protests. Locking eyes with the black wolf, he reaches out his hands to the trap and takes a hold of it. Ace whimpers when Marco carefully starts to pull it and he cries out, "Stop! That fucking hurts!" Marco immediately lets go and asks, keeping his eyes on Ace, "How much does it hurt?"

Is he really asking that question? If it wasn't for the ridiculous situation, Ace would have laughed at his face. However, there is no laughter and Ace can't even make himself laugh in the first place. He sneers and looks away, still trembling as he answers, "Why do you care? Aren't you going to hand me over to those fuckers? Aren't you going to kill me? Aren't you going to make sure there won't be a single wolf in this forest left? Why are you helping me?!"

"Can you trust me?" Marco asks in a very serious tone, looking at Ace with questioning eyes. Ace is gaping back at him, letting out a cry of pain when he consciously feels the iron teeth again. He whimpers and chokes out, "W-why the hell would I trust a human? Do you think I'm that desperate?"

"Considering the situation, yoi, I think you should be." Marco answers, quickly adding to it as he notices that Ace already has got his rejection ready, "I will not rat you out, yoi. Give me your trust for just this moment. I promise you, yoi. Let me help you. I have no ill intentions."

"And why would I believe that? All humans have ill intentions! Not a single one that I've encountered hasn't tried to cut my head clean off! Why would you be any fucking different?!" Ace growls, the desperation way too obvious in his voice. Ace knows that Marco is different. He fucking knows. Maybe it's because he didn't know he was a werewolf but it doesn't matter. Marco is the first one, other than his family, who didn't dump his ass after his rude behavior. Ace is painfully aware that his actions can be mistaken for rude but that's just how he is.

Maybe with humans he does mean to be a rude bastard but that's their own fault. They asked for it.

"First of all, I don't need your head, yoi. Secondly, I have nothing to do with the hunters. They can't tell me what to do or what not to do. I have no reason to hand you over to authorities, yoi." Marco calmly answers, resting his hands on his knees as he has sat down right in front of the leghold. Ace is looking at him with suspicion in his eyes, not daring to fully turn around to look at him. His hair has fallen in front of his eyes, peeking between the strands to see what Marco's expression is like.

There is nothing that tells Ace that Marco is lying to him. He should probably consider himself lucky with the fact that he has met Marco before. During all those talks, where really only Marco talked, the blonde didn't give off any signs of ill-mannered behavior. Of course, he is still a human and humans aren't worth it for Ace by default.

However, Ace wants to go home. He wants to get out of the painful trap, that is slowly going to separate his foot from his leg, and just get back to the cave to see the others. He has to warn them about the traps, he has to make sure that no one else is going to be as stupid as he is to just blindly walk through the forest from now on.

The rules have changed. The hunters are back in town, which means they have to be twice as careful as they are already being.

"You should be afraid of me, if you're not here to rat me out." Ace mumbles, staring at the ground with clenched teeth. His hand is still wrapped around his leg and he slightly cringes when another shot of pain shoots up the bones in his leg. Marco raises his eyebrows for a short second before saying, "Maybe, yoi. But I'm not. I'm just here to help you, yoi. Like any other respectful being should do."

Maybe the pain is making him delusional, but something in Ace believes what the blonde is saying and he sneers, snapping his head up to finally look at Marco. His eyes still give away the big amount of fear that is flowing through his body but he sucks it up and hisses, "Get that thing of my leg. I _want_ it off my fucking leg already."

Marco finally dares to smile and he nods, turning to look at the trap. He puts his hands around the sharp teeth again and starts pulling. He basically rips it open and Ace lets out another scream, quick with pulling back his leg. He pushes himself up and grabs the leg, taking off his boot to see what has happened to his leg.

At the sight of blood dripping down his feet, all pouring out of several created wounds, Ace whimpers and flinches as he touches it. However, one look up, Ace feels a sudden rush of adrenaline and he tries to get up in super speed. Marco doesn't try to stop him and Ace turns around. He tries to make a run for it but not even three seconds later, he falls back down on the ground with a cry. He lands painfully on his side and closes his eyes out of both frustration and pain. Marco wastes no time in walking over to him and puts a hand on Ace's shoulder. Ace flinches away, not liking the touch, and looks at Marco in panic.

"D-do not touch me like that. Let me go back, please let me go back. You promised me you wouldn't rat me out!" Ace cries out but unlike the dirty smirk that he expected to come, Marco frowns at him and shakes his head. He runs a hand through the blonde hair on top of his head and he says, "I told you, I won't do that, yoi. Just... just believe me. At least for now. I understand that you are wary of humans, but please don't be of me, yoi. I'm not scared of you."

"H-how are you not?! I'm pretty damn sure that all the tales tell you I'm the big bad wolf that will eat your children at night! Aren't you scared I'm going to eat you?" Ace yells at him, followed by a cry of pain. Marco looks at the wounds right away and says, crawling closer to the leg again, "If you wanted to eat me, I'm sure you would have done it by now, yoi. Let me see that leg of yours. It doesn't look good at all, yoi."

"No fucking shit." Ace mumbles and whimpers when Marco's fingers touch it. He wants to pull the leg away so badly but he can't even move it. Marco gives him a rather concerned look and concludes, "You can't even walk like this, yoi. We really need to do something about it."

"'We'? Hell no, I'm not going to let you touch my leg again!" Ace hisses but even he sees no other option. The cave is too far from here to just run towards. He'll end up fainting before he gets there and if he's lucky, maybe Sabo will find him tomorrow morning. Bled to death by a human trap.

Ace can't afford to die. Not during times like these. Not when he still needs to teach Luffy so much about the real world. Not when he needs to teach Sabo a lesson or two about sneaking away from home.

"I don't think I have much of a choice, yoi. I'm going to feel really bad if I let a beautiful stranger bleed his way to death like this." Marco speaks up, grinning at Ace's shocked face. Ace gapes at him, not sure if he understood that right. He sneers and looks away, hissing, "Shut the hell up."

"Am I allowed to take care of those wounds, yoi?" Marco asks. Ace sighs and lets out a growl, catching Marco of guard at the sudden change of face. Ace immediately changes his face back to its human form and with a very red face he shouts, "Then fucking do it already!"

"A wolf with a tempter, yoi. Why didn't I see that coming?" Marco asks in amusement and reaches out his hand towards Ace. Ace stares at it for a good minute and glares at Marco, trying to find some evil ideas in that way too innocent looking face of his. All he is greeted with is a lazy smile with a pair of concerned eyes. Ace bites on his lip to the point that it almost starts to bleed too and slowly places his hand in Marco's hand. The blonde pulls him on his feet and catches him right away when Ace almost falls back down again. He wraps his arm around Ace's waist and pulls him towards the closest rock in their surroundings.

Ace flinches away the very second he sits down but Marco doesn't say anything about it. He crunches down and takes another look at the exposed leg before deciding, "I'm going to have to make the bleeding stop, yoi. Here's a plan. Climb on my back and I'll carry you to my house to disinfect the wound, yoi."

"No." is Ace's immediate response. There is no way that he is going to that village like this. Hell no. It's way too dangerous for him, especially now. And what if Marco does end up having lied to him? He'll be too vulnerable on his own, injured, in a human village.

That's simply not going to happen.

Marco lets his hand slide down the side of his head and says in a rather soft voice, "Should have seen that coming. Here's another plan, yoi. I'll go and get the first aid kit and treat your wounds here in the forest. Does that sound better, yoi?"

"I can run away." Ace speaks up and Marco actually dares to laugh, much to Ace's annoyance. He crosses his arms and nods towards the leg, mocking, "With a leg like that? I don't think so, yoi. I can predict that you're going to try anyway and end up laying on the ground until I get back. But that doesn't sound too appealing, does it now?"

"You are in no position to fucking mock me, human." Ace growls, glaring at Marco. The blonde snorts and corrects him, "I believe I already told you my name is Marco, yoi."

"Then you are in no position to fucking mock me, _Marco_." Ace repeats with just as much mockery. Marco chuckles and grins at him, saying, "You should think about telling me your name too, wolf. I have nothing to call you with, yoi."

"Let's keep it that way." Ace replies. Marco laughs again and shakes his head this time. He looks up at the road and turns back to Ace as he says, "I'll be right back then, yoi. Don't move, it'll be bad for that leg."

Ace sneers and mutters, "You don't need to tell me that. Go away already."

Marco has the audacity to smirk at him and turns around to walk away, actually making an effort to hurry up. It doesn't take very long for Marco to fully disappear and Ace watches his every step of the way, even craning his neck to look between the trees to watch Marco almost run away.

Ace lets out a loud groan, rubbing with both of his hands over his face. He screams into them, trying to free himself from the frustration and pain he is feeling right now. For all he cares, his leg could get chopped off and that would hurt less than the amount of pain he is in right now. It shortly reminds him of Shanks, but only for a short second. Shanks did not end up with his leg in a trap, Shanks has ended up losing his arm. His full arm. He lost it during the war, trying to protect Ace. There was a hunter who urged at him with a giant axe, planning on killing his nine-year-old self but it was Shanks who jumps in between them in his wolf form and ended up being the one who landed under the sharp edge of the axe.

His front left paw got cut off in one swing. Shanks didn't cry or shout. All he did was change back to his human form and gather Ace is the one arm he still had left, carrying him away from the fighting.

Ace will never forget that moment. He remembers sobbing his eyes out at the sight of Shanks' lost arm. He also remembers Luffy losing all of his self-control after finding out about it.

Ace bites his lip and tells himself to man up already. Shanks didn't make a single sound and he has lost his whole limp. Ace hasn't lost his leg. Yet. It's still attached to his body. All he has are a couple of wounds that just happen to be bleeding to the point where Ace starts to wonder about the amount of blood still left in his body.

Now that Marco is gone, Ace allowed himself to shout at the sky. He has fucked everything up. Everything. He has been discovered by a damn human, caught in a human trap. Ace is relieved that he isn't dead yet but if he puts too much trust into Marco he might still end up under the ground. If this was any other human, Ace would now be in a dungeon, being tortured by hunters. After being tortured, they will shoot him with a silver bullet, chop off his head and show the entire village what good of a deed they've done now.

Ace screams again at the thought of it and hits himself in the face, telling himself how stupid he has been and how bad this could have ended.

Ace is scared.

He hates it but he is scared. Desperate even. Ace likes to think he isn't scared of death and really, he isn't. However, this is not the right time to die. He has a little brother that needs protection. He has a younger twin brother that very clearly still needs him around. He has his mother to take care of, his father's footsteps to follow.

He cannot afford to die. Not right now. Not right here. If he dies, he wants to go down like a hero. Not because of some stupid rabbit trap. This is plain pathetic, sitting on a rock with a badly injured leg while waiting for the help of a human.

A fucking human.

Ace wants to cry. He wants to cry but he keeps it together. The only thing that he allows himself to do is scream at the moon and he growls, "Aaargh!"

He aggressively ruffles his hair and turns his head to the side, seeing the same hole that he jumped through to go after Sabo. He cringes at the mockery that Marco just threw at his head but Ace really is desperate. Desperate enough to do stupid things.

He throws a couple of looks over his shoulder, not sure why he is even bothering, and lets himself slide of off the rock. He flinches when his foot touches the ground, standing very uneven due to the fact that one foot is wearing a boot while the other is bare and touching the ground like that. Ace tries to turn it into a paw but he lets out a cry of pain at the mere attempt of it and decides against it. He takes a deep breath and tries to make a run for it.

As Marco already predicted, Ace doesn't get very far. He falls down with his head in the bushes and can't even move himself up again. He screams against the soul and hits the ground with his fist, not caring that it hurts. He lets both his hands turn into paws and tries it again. It helps a little but the very second he is up, Ace falls down again. He cries out in pain and follows it by a very aggressive and loud growl, exposing his teeth at the sky.

* * *

Countless of thoughts are going through Marco's mind but he ignores them all. He wants a clear mind, especially during an emergency like this. This is the first time Marco has seen this much blood and it's not even from a human.

A werewolf. The rude stranger is a werewolf. Marco can't wrap his head around it and truthfully, he is shocked. He is really shocked. Who wouldn't be? Finding out someone you know, or kind of know, is not human is not exactly an everyday experience. Marco doesn't know what to think of it, not at all. All he knows, is that he isn't scared.

He wasn't lying when he told the frightened guy that he isn't afraid of him. He isn't. Caught of guard, definitely, but not afraid. For one simple reason. Teach and all the other hunters always tell them that every single werewolf will attack humans at every chance they get. Werewolves don't go into a village without wanting to kill. Those you meet, are going to murder you.

Marco is still alive. His brothers are still alive. The stranger is very rude, that's for sure, but killing them? That's ridiculous. He's countless of chances to end Marco's life and yet he hasn't done it yet. Not even in the village, where there are more than enough 'prey' for him to hunt on.

He could have killed him and yet Marco is still standing. And if that wasn't convincing enough for him, the guy was terrified just looking at him. It's very clear to Marco that he looks at humans the way they look at werewolves.

Marco is a monster to him, a killer. Marco can't say he doesn't understand it, because he painfully does. They have been hunting on werewolves since the beginning of times, never sparing them a second glance and always firing the bullet or throwing the dagger before evaluating the situation.

It's not strange that the guy is so frightened of him but Marco doesn't like it. Hunters have traumatized werewolves and that is not right. He knew somewhere deep down that werewolves would feel scared of humans but he didn't know it was to this extent.

Marco doesn't harm anyone. He is willing to go through fire for the safety of his family and those close to him, but people or any other creature that just simply exists shouldn't be harmed for no damn reason. Not the reasons Teach always throws at his head as poor excuses.

It makes sense, Marco begins to realize as he runs through the streets to get home. It makes so much sense as to why this guy was acting so rude and distant the entire time. Not wanting to interact with any human. Of course it makes sense. He didn't want to be in the village. He clearly isn't fond of humans and it isn't hard to see that he came here for a reason.

Whatever made him show up must have meant a lot to him for this guy to actually dare set a foot into the village and Marco applauds him for that.

He turns around the corner and stops in front of the Moby Dick. On the property is not only the office and the company, but also their home. It isn't big, but big enough to fit the entire family and Whitebeard. Marco softly opens the gate, slipping inside while trying to stay as quiet as possible. He promised the guy that he wouldn't tell a soul and Marco is a man of his word. He wants the beautiful stranger (because really, Marco can not deny that the wolf is a very good looking man) to trust him. Show him that he has nothing to fear with him around. Even though Whitebeard and all of his brothers are alright with werewolves and would never harm him in any way, Marco is not going to risk losing the little trust this guy has in him already.

He rushes past the house and goes for the office, where there is a first aid kit as well. He'd rather take that one than be overly quiet while trying not to wake any of his family members.

Marco wants to act like he doesn't know what possesses him to do this, but he knows exactly why he is doing this. He is simply unable to leave the stranger with no name alone like this. He isn't heartless. He wants to treat that wound and make sure the guy can go back to wherever he lives. Marco is slowly getting more curious about him. This guy has probably been living in the shadows of the forest for his entire life and Marco wants to know how he's done it. If there even is an entire pack that this guy is in.

Marco can't stop himself from smiling a little at that thought. He's either a lone wolf desperate to live or a member of a pack that he wants to protect. Needs to protect. Marco is going to make sure that he is going to live to see the sun come up again.

He dives into Whitebeard's office and scoffs at the sight of empty alcohol bottles. He is pretty damn sure that he has told the old man to cut down on the drinking but it seems to him that he didn't listen. He is going to have to say something about it tomorrow. Marco flutters his eyes away from the alcohol and looks into his father's desk, feeling a little guilty about snooping around behind his back like this.

It's for the greater good, Marco keeps telling himself as he finally finds the first aid kit. He pulls it out of its drawer, closes said drawer and safely tucked under his arm, Marco sneaks out of the office again, throwing looks into every direction to make sure no one is awake.

With a relieved smile, Marco manages to end up back on the streets again and he makes a run for it, going straight for the forest. He is once again careful not to step into one of Teach's stupid traps and soon finds himself standing on the same spot he just left.

The guy is laying on the ground, face hidden beneath a bush. It looks comical and Marco can't say he is surprised. He releases a chuckle and it turns into laughter at the way the wolf twitched at the sound of his voice. He hears a muffled scream and shakes his head. He puts down the first aid kit and walks over to the wolf. Knowing that he doesn't want to be touched, Marco makes sure to first ask if it's okay to touch him.

Another muffled groan is the reply and Marco takes it as a yes, noting how tired his voice sounds. Very carefully, Marco grabs his arm and hails him back on his feet. His face is now covered in sand but the wolf doesn't seem to mind. He is not looking at Marco and a scoff is decorating his face as he glares at his wounds. Marco is not going to mention it and takes him back to his rock, putting him down as he says, "You seem to do everything that I tell you not to do, yoi." The wolf sneers and snaps, "Che, I'm not going to listen to a human."

Marco isn't offended by it and crunches down, grabbing the kit as he says, "I'm first going to wipe away all of the blood that is around this area, yoi. Mind you, it might hurt a little but you're a big wolf, you can handle it."

"Stop fucking babying me and get on with it already." the reply to that is and Marco chuckles, feeling glad that he isn't shouting at him anymore. There is obvious tension in the way the wolf speaks but Marco thanks all the gods in the world that most of the fear has left the air. He has done _something_ right.

He opens the kit and takes out a cloth. He presses it against the wound, successfully stopping the bleeding. A painful hiss escapes the wolf's lips and Marco starts gently dabbing it while hoping it won't hurt too much. To his surprise, the guy isn't trying to rip his leg away and lets Marco do his job. He has experience with taking care of wounds. Maybe not as big as these, but being the oldest of a family automatically means you're the one they come crying to when they fell or got themselves injured in any other way.

Not so much anymore but when they were little, Thatch very often came running to him with big fat tears streaming down his face because he fell out of a tree again. It was always big brother's job to fix the massive wound on his forehead or the scrapes on his knees.

Marco knows what he is doing.

Once he has cleaned the leg of all the blood, Marco keeps the cloth pressed against the wound to make sure no more blood flows out of it and reaches for the the antibiotic cream that he hasn't used in a very long time. He can hear the wolf gasp and the leg then flinches away. Marco immediately looks up and assures him, keeping his voice calm, "Don't be scared, yoi. This will only disinfect your wounds. It's already very clear to me that this needs stitches but considering how you're not going to go to the village, I'm going to have to make the best out of this."

"Is it going to hurt?"

The question sounds so innocent and childlike that it makes Marco smile at him. The wolf is red and looking at a random tree, not making any eye contact with the blonde.

"It's going to sting for a bit, but that's only good, yoi." Marco simply answers and opens the cream, taking a little bit out of it and applying it to the wound. A loud hiss is heard this time and he feels a hit against the back of his head, followed by, "You bastard! For a bit?! Don't lie to me, this fucking burns more than any of the shit Kureha used to feed me with when I was younger!"

"Kureha?" Marco asks in amusement and only grins when the guy seems to realize the slip. He sneers and mutters, "It's nothing."

Marco is not the one to ask more questions when they are clearly going to be left unanswered and finishes with the antibiotic. He then grabs a bandage and proceeds to carefully wrap it around the muscled leg, even to the point where he sticks out his tongue.

"There, yoi! Now all there is left for you to do is take it easy and not move it around too much."

The boy looks at the leg, almost in astonishment before saying, "T-thanks. I guess. But don't expect anything in return. Also, don't follow me when I'm going to leave. Which is now. Don't follow me."

Marco rolls his eyes and gets up. He crosses his arms and says, "As if, yoi. I have a warm bed that is calling for me. I don't have time to go after you, yoi."

The wolf looks slightly taken aback by it but he doesn't comment on it. He sets a couple of steps backwards before he turns around, ready to run away. He jumps between the bushes and for a moment, it stays quiet. Thinking he has actually left, Marco heavens a sigh and turns around. He bends down to grab the kit and moves his body up again to make way to his own home when the guy's voice speaks up from behind him.

"Ace."

Marco frowns and turns around. He looks at the guy with a raised eyebrow, "What?" The guy growls and snaps, "Are you dumb?! Ace! My _name_ is Ace! You wanted to know it so badly, didn't you?! I expect you to keep all of this to yourself. If I notice there are all of a sudden more hunters in this area, I will... I will sneak inside your house and eat all your children!"

"How very threatening of you, _Ace._ Didn't I already make it clear that your secret is safe with me? Just go already, before that leg won't be able to carry you... home."

Marco isn't sure if Ace has a home but he'll just go with that since he doesn't know what else to say. Ace sneers at him but he nods awkwardly before his hands and legs start to merge and change into hairy paws. Marco looks at it with fascination, never having seen anything like that in his entire life.

Ace turns around and leans down before dashes off with such a speed that he is fully out of sight within two seconds.

Marco stares at the empty spot for a second before he grins to himself.

Ace. Werewolf Ace.

Somehow it suits him very well.

* * *

 **I hope I did their meeting justice. Also, can't wait to explore their relationship further in the future:) Thanks for reading! x**


	16. Chapter 15

**I am so sorry for the rather late update but I have been very busy lately with my university and just life in general. I think my updates may be slower from now on but I don't know yet. Maybe I can squeeze in some writing time here and there:) But I'll try to update at least once a week. That should be doable. But that aside, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

With narrowed eyes, Sabo finds himself looking up at the massive tower in the middle of Foosha Village. The moon is high up in the sky, serving as the only source of light at this time of day. The light falls right onto the tower, taking Sabo with it as well. He is the only one out on the streets. All the lights are off in the surrounding houses and not even a little mouse is rushing over the rather small square.

Sabo fumbles with the piece of paper in his hands, holding it tight in the clutches of his fists. He isn't sure how Ivankov is going to react, if he is even present, when he sees him but Sabo doesn't really find himself care. It's not his fault for not coming last night. He didn't think Ace would guard him like the way he did all damn day. Even coming here tonight was a struggle. Ace noticed him leaving and dashed after him like some possessed doll, not wasting a single second.

Sabo considers himself lucky for even standing here without a scratch or without a brother in tow. Ace just suddenly stopped running after him. Why, Sabo doesn't know, but right now all he wants to focus on is the Revolutionary Army. After all, that's the sole reason why he made an effort to come to the village.

Sabo sighs and moves his head down. According to the note that Ivankov gave him, there is a hidden passage somewhere on the other side of the tower. Sabo does as he is instructed and walks around the building, craning his neck in an effort to find something odd looking, that could serve as the passage.

Behind, he finds a stack of old wooden boxes and sacks. Sacks filled with grains of all kinds. They are messily stacked upon each other and Sabo facepalms. If this is the way they think they are being subtle, they are wrong. This is not how you hide a hidden passage way. This is clearly a way too obvious effort to keep something secret. Are humans really that simple?

"Blondie-boy! What are you doing here?!"

Sabo stiffens for a short second before he pulls his top hat down as he turns around, facing Ivankov. The purple-haired man is standing right behind him with a shocked expression on his face. He is holding a den den mushi that looks exactly like him and a voice is speaking through it.

" _Ivan-chan? Oi! Can you hear me?_ "

Ivankov clears his throat and holds up the den den mushi, answering while not keeping his widened eyes off Sabo, "I can hear you loud and clear. You do not need to shout at me like that! I've arrived, keep Dragon on hold for just a little longer."

He hangs up before the voice can answer and he tucks it away before he bursts out at Sabo, who doesn't lose his cool one moment, "You! How can you still show your face after you stood me up yesterday?! What is your plan, boy? Are you working undercover for the marine? On your own? What do you need our information for?"

Sabo resists the urge to roll his eyes and just grins at him, perfectly concealing any fear that he could have felt. Sabo walks closer and says, crossing his arms, "I never told you I was going to come, did I? If your offer still stands, I'm here now. And it's a good thing you showed up yourself, I was about to break into your pathetic excuse of a hidden passage way."

"You're a rude one, aren't you?"

"It's what I tend to be good at." Sabo's smug reply is. Ivankov's eye slightly twitches and he heavens a sigh, running a hand across the side of his face. He throws several looks around him before he edges closer to where Sabo is standing. He leans closer and says, "You have one last chance to run away, boy. Are you going to ditch me again?"

"I never ditched you in the first place. I never made the promise to show up. I was bound to zero obligations." Sabo snaps back, crossing his arms as he challenges Ivankov with his sharp eyes. Ivankov narrows his eyes at him but rather than shouting at him, he mutters in an annoyed voice, "I don't know what I've done to deserve this treatment. Why are trying to outsmart me, boy?"

"Because it seems to be working."

"Stop with these snarky comments already! Are you coming with me or are you going to run while you still can?" Ivankov now finally bursts, in a loud hiss. Sabo smirks at him, happy that he managed to rile up the human to this extent. He lets out a little sigh and tightly presses his lips into a thin line. Running away is not an option now. He came here for a reason and after going through so much difficulty that all are spelled 'ACE', Sabo is not going to back down. Not even if that means walking straight into a nest of humans. Ivankov may have said that every single one in there stands with the wolves doesn't mean that Sabo feels safe enough to go. He highly doubts that any of them have ever met one of his pack in the first place. Theoretically, they stand hand in hand with his pack. In real life, it might look a lot uglier.

"Oi, boy. Are you still with me?"

Sabo raises both his eyebrows for a very short second before he answers, fully turning towards the poorly stacked boxes, "You're the professional here. Show me the way." Ivankov takes it as a compliment and walks past Sabo to push all the boxes aside. Like Sabo thought, it's the only obstacle that keeps their organization hidden. Such a ridiculous way to do it. Sabo wants to make fun of it so badly, wants to tell Ivankov how to actually do it. After all, his whole life he has been taught how to hide and completely disappear in his surroundings. He knows how to be secretive.

He doesn't make fun of it though. At least, not too much. Ivankov has already asked him too many questions. If he keeps being mysterious, there is a big risk of losing Ivankov's trust and therefore not being allowed in the Revolutionary.

He doesn't exactly wants to join their little gang, he just wants to see what is going on. But in order to gain access to their headquarters he still needs Ivankov's full trust.

Feeling Ivankov grabbing his arm to drag him into the hidden passage, Sabo immediately shrugs her hand away and snaps, setting a step back, "Don't just touch me like that, oi. Walk ahead of me, I'll follow."

"Tsk, such a bossy one you are."

* * *

Sabo doesn't say a word as he walks out of the surprisingly long passage way, finally setting a foot inside the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army. It isn't too big nor too small. There is enough space to fit the entire organization in one room. Not that there are many people to begin with. It's a rather small company of merely five other people. They make six together with Ivankov.

He looks up from under his hat to see where he has ended up and his eyes harden at the sight of an entire group of humans, all staring back at him. The look on each face is identical and with a very serious glance, they are looking back at him. Sabo is partly hidden behind Ivankov's big body but it doesn't take much effort to look around it. The long blond locks that stick out from under his hat aren't hard to miss either.

His eyes roam the entire room, not missing one face. He slightly stiffens once they land on a very familiar girl. She, ever so unlike her companions, is trying really hard not to show her surprise. Her serious face is one that Sabo can't take serious but that isn't what he is focused on. She is the girl that kindly pointed him the wrong way. And if he moves his eyes further to the left he notices the same guy who was with her that day, right next to her.

'Great, they are in the Revolutionary Army.' Sabo thinks with a deadpanned expression resting on his face. He chooses to ignore the very surprised look on both their faces to finish inspecting every single other person in the room but just when he is done doing so, the girl doesn't let him ignore her any longer and with a loud voice she exclaims, "Eeeh?! Y-You are _that_ dude! Ivan-chan!"

It softens the tension in the room a little bit. The girl is rudely pointing at him and Ivankov decides to be just as rude by moving out of the way, exposing Sabo completely. Sabo sighs, a little annoyed. He straightens his back and pulls ever so slightly on his hat. He locks eyes with the girl and answers in a calm voice, keeping his posture, "I'm afraid I am, milady. I hope there will be no problems."

The girl's cheeks turn a little red and she immediately says, crossing her arms, "If I had known what your ideals were I would have been the one to gladly invite you."

"Hah?! Koala! You have been doing nothing but criticizing me for inviting... Excuse me, boy. What is your name again?" Ivankov turns his head to look down on Sabo, addressing the question to him. Sabo slightly bites his lip, having locked eyes with one mysterious shadow in the corner of the room. He doesn't break the contact and answers, "It's rude not to introduce yourself first, Ivankov."

"Oi, boy. Can you stop with the attitude? I have been trying to convince the others that you are just like us. Please be fucking nice for once in return. Just this once." Ivankov complains but Sabo isn't having any of it. He is not just going to blindly throw around his name in a company of total strangers. The only two names that he knows so far are Ivankov and Koala, not having missed what Ivankov called the girl by. However, names do not equal personalities. He knows nothing about them. If he has to believe Ivankov, the Revolutionary Army does indeed stand for equal rights for werewolves. He appreciates it, otherwise he wouldn't have made the effort to come here.

But Sabo has been forced to be watchful and hostile towards everything strange. Humans in particular have been creatures that can't know a thing about him. It's a habit that he can't get rid of or that he _wants_ to get rid of.

Ivankov is going to have to deal with it.

"Questions first though."

Sabo snaps his eyes away from Ivankov's annoying pout and turns them into the direction the voice came from. He sees the guy with strange bunny ears attached to his head staring holes through him. Noticing how he has Sabo's attention, he continues, "What are your motives? Can we trust you on your word?"

"Oi, Joe-boy. You don't believe me or what?" Ivankov snaps, crossing his arms. Joe doesn't look impressed but it is the dark figure that finally decides to speak up and join the conversation. Sabo's attention on Joe is all gone and with a hard glare he looks at the man, not liking the vibes he is getting from him.

"You're too trusting, Iva. Whether you believe this man on his word is your own matter, but certainty is needed in this organization. Answer the question, son. What's your game?"

The man has a deep voice and Sabo notes how not a single person in the room interrupts him or messed around with one another. They all stopped with whatever they were doing and a look of respect found their way on their faces.

This man has the upper hand in the army, that can Sabo say for sure.

Sabo doesn't cower away under the dark glance though, having gotten used to way worse, and answers, "I believe Ivankov has made those quite clear. I have been told that this is an organization that fights for equal rights for both werewolves and... humans, I suppose. I happen to agree with what you stand for. I do not believe that werewolves should always have to be the bad ones in children tales. As a matter of fact, I have never believed in such tales. They never told them in my household."

It was quite the opposite for Sabo. Rather than making the wolf be the bad guy in tales, it were the humans that were pure evil and always in the wrong. His grandfather isn't one to tell stories like any other loving grandparent but whenever he chases them around the forest (Sabo can say with utter thankfulness that the old man has gone on a trip with the girls of the pack, to train them somewhere separate and far away from the violent boys), he shouts random facts at them about how humans can never be a strong as them and how they can't be as pathetic as the nearest hunter.

"Can we trust you speak the truth?" the same man asks, staying in the shadows. Sabo bites his lip, his own glare darkening as he answers with a sneer in his voice, "Trust me like you trust your men. Hunters have done more than enough to make me despite every fiber in their bodies."

An eerie quietness clouds down on the company and for a few seconds, not a single soul speaks up. Sabo doesn't try to be the one to break that silence, though he hates to admit that it sends shivers down his spine. Maybe he has said too much. He shouldn't be worried about them ever finding out the truth about him, considering how they supposedly don't hate his kind, but that doesn't make him any less careful. He has to watch every move to be sure of his own safety.

Even in a company like this.

His eyes snap up when the dark figure pushes himself away from the wall. He steps into the light and only now, Sabo can see his full face. Black, rather long hair that matches Luffy's messiness. A strange red tattoo right across his left eye, that runs along almost his entire face. He has a green cloak thrown around his shoulders and his arms are crossed. He is looking right at Sabo with a serious expression before a grin appears on his face.

"I see. Hearing Iva talk about our goals made you realize you're not the only one who wants to change our world's view on werewolves." the man says and Sabo can only nod. He wipes some non-existent dust of his long coat and says, "I suppose so. I found it rather unusual, in the least. Especially in a small town like this."

"Right?! Dragon-san has only done great by starting the organization in Foosha Village. Though it may not seem like it from the outside, there are quite a lot of villagers against those dumb hunters. They are just afraid to show it. It's a very popular belief over here. Or anywhere else for that matter." Koala speaks up, leaning closer by putting both her hands between her legs for support. She looks at Sabo with curious eyes and asks, "Come on, please tell us your name. We trust you, you trust us. I want to call you something, instead of constantly yelling 'boy'."

Sabo lets out a breathy chuckle, finally daring to move his head up, "Like I already told you, milady. It'd be rude to let the guest be the one to introduce himself first."

Koala pouts but doesn't waste time to exclaims, "Well then, my name is Koala! There, what's your name?"

"I don't believe you are the only one with a name in this company." Sabo says in his cocky voice, that he loves using when Ace tries to play it smart with him again. Ace always gets incredibly irritated when he does it and he is pleased to see Koala sharing a similar reaction.

"What did I tell you, Koala?! He is one rude bastard." Ivankov shares his opinion ever so loudly. Sabo rolls his eyes at him but can't stop himself from chuckling a little at the frustration. How he loves annoying other people with his word games. Even his father can get so worked up over it. It's the main reason why Sabo always does it.

However, the main man only grins at Sabo and responds, "You're a hard shell to break. I can respect that. My name is Dragon. I am the leader of the Revolutionary Army. If you decide to join my rebellion, I suggest you come to me first."

"Don't worry about that, sir. I am simply here to observe. I have no plans on joining." Sabo speaks up with a childish grin on his face. Dragon looks a little confused for a mere second but he soon lets out a snort and says, "We'll see about that."

The guy who was with Koala that day politely raises his hand and says, "You can call me Hack. It's a pleasure to meet you." Sabo nods at him, acknowledging his presence. After Hack, the left over two speak up, telling Sabo their names one by one.

Bunny Joe and Inazuma. Each on their own an interesting name but Sabo is not going to contemplate on that. He is just happy that they actually gave him their names. Surprising for a group of humans.

"I suppose it'd be only fair for me to share my name with you." Sabo says and Ivankov lets out a loud sigh of relief, "Finally, damned brat."

Sabo chuckles and says, holding onto his hat, "You can call me Sabo. Thank you for letting me stay here for tonight. It's appreciated."

"Sabo? Sabo, huh. That's a nice name." Koala speaks up with a smile on her face as she pulls her hat in a better position. Ivankov catches Sabo off guard by slapping him on the back as he says in his usual loud voice, "About time, Sabo-boy! You don't need to be all mysterious about your name among us."

"Sabo." Dragon says in a rough voice, making Sabo move all of his attention away from the loud man next to him. The big leader is looking back at him and continues, "There is no rush for you to join our organization. We have many allies in the village that are not a revolutionary but share the same visions as ours."

Koala nods excitedly and adds to that, "Yes! One of my best friends is one of them! Her name is Robin, she works in the local library. You should visit her some time."

Sabo doesn't answer. It is yet another surprising fact that he did not see coming. Foosha Village is a rather conservative village when it comes to old traditions. The hatred for werewolves is deep in their history so it's only natural for his pack to think that the whole village wants them dead. However, it seems that they were wrong.

"How many people in this village are like this?" Sabo asks, finally taking the time to lean back against the nearest wall. He crosses his arms and Inazuma answers, "I can't tell you the exact number, but it's more than you'd think. Robin, of course, but there is also a big merchant company just down the road here. They're called the Whitebeards. Their big boss is Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard. Edward has a rather strong opinion when it comes to the hunters. He passed it on to his workers, or more to say, his sons."

Sabo frowns, "Sons?"

"They're a big family." Hack notes and Inazuma continues, "Edward is a simple man. If you don't bother him, he won't bother you. He thinks everyone deserves a chance to be heard, rather than shot dead for being who you are. A werewolf is no different than the nearest human to him. Or to any of his sons."

Sabo listens to it with a darkened expression on his face. It sounds too much like a dream to him. How is it possible that in a village such as this one, filled with citizens that did nothing when one of Sabo's own got shot in cold blood, there are so many people who think otherwise? It certainly doesn't show on the outside. Sabo supposes he understands. Siding with werewolves makes you an outcast. Of course it does. It's like picking evil over good.

"Let's also not forget about Makino. She is a good-hearted woman who can do no wrong. She owns Party's Bar, our local pub." Koala adds to the conversation. Sabo opens one eye, directed at the man.

 _Party's Bar_. Why does that sound so familiar?

It doesn't take long for Sabo's mind to remember. He and Ace found Luffy in that bar. Sabo hadn't looked inside so he doesn't know who in the world this Makino is but he is glad to know that Luffy was in a bar with a woman who doesn't jump to the gun at the sight of a wolf.

"That's more people that I expected." Sabo mumbles.

"It's more than I imagined to come as well. But let's not dwell on that. I'm just relieved that not all hope is lost in this world." Dragon says. Sabo looks at him, a sudden wave of curiosity hitting him. What has made this man so adamant on starting this organization? Surely there must be more than just a little opinion for him to create the Revolutionary Army.

Sabo decides to leave it for later and doesn't say anything anymore. He simply nods and eyes Dragon, who clears his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Let's officially start this meeting already. To start of with the return of the hunters. It's a sad business that Teach and his mates are back but it just means for us to start working harder. Koala, you went out with Hack a couple of days ago. Talk."

"Right. Ivankov was supposed to be there too but that bastard showed up after we had done our job. You need to force him to carry his Den Den Mushi with him at all costs, boss!"

Sabo stiffens. So that's what Koala and Hack were doing that day he wanted to find Luffy. It's probably the reason why Koala was screaming at that poor man. Things start to make more sense now.

"I try to get on it." Dragon dryly says and allows Koala to continue her story. She smiles, ignoring the dirty look she is getting from Ivankov and walks to the middle of room, telling them all in a serious tone, "Hack and I both can confirm that they've learned a trick or two on their ridiculous journey around the world. They are not just parading around the village without a purpose anymore. As a matter of fact, they inform our citizens about the dangers of werewolves every chance they get. To make the matters even more frightening, the people take the time to listen. It seems that they've gotten a higher level of respect."

"That was to be expected, telling everyone they were going to travel around the world to help out villages in need. I had hoped they'd stay away for another ten years." Joe mutters, waving a hand through the air.

"Sabo," Hack's voice cuts Sabo's thinking mode short and gathering the blonde's attention, he asks, "Are you aware of the incident from nine years ago? I suppose you're not, you're not from around here?"

"I guess you can say that." Sabo vaguely answers. He is painfully aware of the incident from nine years ago. But it seems like they are less informed than they believe they are. It was not just an incident, it was an entire war that scarred the pack for life. That scarred Ace for life. That made Ace hate humans even more. It made Sabo much more watchful of humans as well. Though he was physically there, he remembers how broken Ace looked when he was brought back. He remembers how it made his young blood boil at the mere sight of him. He remembers how furious his mother was, how furious the entire pack was. How scared Luffy was.

It was a dark period in the pack and one that Sabo wants to keep in the past.

"Nine years ago, a little wolf came walking into our village. Though it had no ill intentions, after all it was only a little baby, the villager closest to it did not hesitate to beat it down with a stick. It was very unfortunate that said lady is a tough one who isn't scared of anything. However, the beating attracted a lot of attention and one of the hunters was among it. His name is Teach. Playing the lousy hero that he is, he shot the wolf."

The same emotions that Sabo felt back then are coming back to him. The whole pack was out for blood, which is what they got. Coby's death is an unspoken one. Everyone knows of it but no one wants to be reminded of it.

Ivankov nods and continues, "They didn't keep it at all. They concluded that there must be a whole pack out there if there is a baby wolf walking around. With the whole hunting team they went into the forest, being cheered on by almost the entire village to my greatest shame. When they came, in the early mornings, they were covered in blood but clearly happy."

"Those bastards have killed the entire pack." Koala hisses, curling her fingers into a fist. Sabo's expression shadows even more. It isn't true. The hunters haven't killed the pack but had left the forest believing that they had. After all, they left the wolves for dead behind. But they were too much in a hurry. During the war, several of the pack managed to sneak away to warn the ones still in the cave. The ones that the hunters were completely unaware of.

They had simply assumed that all those wolves that had come out because of Ace formed the whole pack. They were too stupid to realize those wolves left behind their children and the vulnerable ones at home.

It is of course a given that some of them could have died. Shanks had lost his arm protecting Ace (Sabo will never be more grateful for anything else), Rocinante got shot very fatally, Crocodile lost a hand and has no a massive hook as a replacement. His father got injured too but it wasn't as fatal as the other three. All of them got hurt but they all lived.

"After doing that, they decided that they'd done their job here and left for other villagers. I had hoped that they'd stay away but as you are aware of, they came back." Dragon concludes and Koala nods, gritting her teeth. She raises a fist and shouts, "Aargh, I hate those arrogant pricks!"

Sabo has it in him to smile a little. A warm feeling grows in his stomach, knowing that not all humans want such a war to happen again.

"Let's all hope something like that will never take place again." Sabo simply says and Koala thumbs up to him.

"Exactly! But as I was saying, as of lately, he has been telling people to be careful. Also, today me, Hack and Ivankov overheard something very interesting in the Baratie." Koala says, looking around the room. Once she is happy with the response, she continues, "Teach came into the restaurant and told Sanji that there have been found footprints. Of wolves."

Sabo stiffens. The hunter has been talking.

Dragon visibly lightens up about that news and asks, "Near the border? There is still a wolf in our forest?"

"That appears to be the case, yes." Koala happily confirms. Sabo isn't so happy though and doesn't hesitate to ask, "Did that man say anything else?"

"Oh. Well, no. I don't believe I've missed anything. We just-"

"We've got a problem!"

Sabo turns his head to the entrance of the room and flutters with his eyes when a new person runs inside, looking extremely panicked. He is roaming around to find Dragon and once he finds him, he starts wildly waving with his hands before Ivankov calls out, "Oi, Terry-boy! Speak already!"

He takes out the cigarette that was resting on his lips and says, in a much calmer voice, "I was on my way to the headquarters when I noticed hunters in the forest. I spied on them and I've found this, spread all over the forest."

Sabo cranes his neck to see what Terry is holding and his breath hitches at the sight of a trap. It has shut close so it is of no danger any longer but there are very sharp edges all around the entire trap. Getting stuck in there is possibly going to end up being deadly.

"All over the forest?! Because they found _one_ footprint?! Damn it! Dragon-san, I hate to be the one to order around" – "You don't." – "but we need to find every single one of those traps and remove them before anyone gets seriously hurt! Not just any possible wolf, but also the villagers."

"Koala is right, sir. They've hidden the traps to the point where you can very easily miss them. Villagers might overlook them and step inside them themselves." Terry speaks up but Ivankov says, "There is no way, Terry-boy. Teach is going to tell them all where they need to be careful."

Dragon also says something but Sabo is far gone with his mind. With widened eyes, he is staring at the floor. The whole situation got a lot more dangerous and it seems that the hunters are starting to get serious about wanting them dead. Fucking traps, hidden throughout the whole forest. Luffy for sure is going to end up in one with his reckless behavior.

Sabo's eyes roam around for a while, thinking this through. Does this mean that these hunters were setting up traps when he was still in the forest?

Sabo's blood goes cold.

Ace was following him but he had stopped very abruptly. There were no more weird sounds coming from behind. Sabo was in a hurry so he didn't think much of it at the time but knowing that there are traps now in the forest makes Sabo suddenly realize something that he really, _really_ prays hasn't happened.

But thinking about his twin brother gives Sabo a weird feeling. His guts are telling him that something is indeed very wrong.

He needs to go back. He needs to make sure that Ace is alright. Even if his reckless twin brother has just given up and went back to the cave, Sabo needs conformation that Ace is safe.

"Ivankov. Open the door for me again. I'm afraid I must take my leave." Sabo therefore says, trying to stay as calm as possible. There is a storming coming up inside of him and he is sure that he is visibly trembling but no one says a thing about it.

Everybody in the room stares at him and Ivankov frowns confused, "You want to leave, Sabo-boy? Where are you off to suddenly?"

"I'd appreciate if you'd just open the door for me. Will you do it if I promise you that I'll come back?" Sabo quickly says, very much in a hurry and not in the mood anymore for cheeky remarks. Ivankov shares looks with the others, who are suddenly grinning. Sabo doesn't have time for this. Taking it as a yes, he wastes no more time and dashes into the passage way, not waiting for Ivankov anymore.

He basically runs down the hall and is only stopped by the annoying door. He has to stop himself from jumping up and down and sighs relieved when he sees Ivankov coming up to him. The purple-haired man is looking at him strangely and asks, "Do you need to go to the toilet or something, boy? Because we have-"

"Please, don't ask questions. I just remembered I have somewhere else I need to be."

Ivankov doesn't say anything and opens the door for him. Without saying a word of goodbye, Sabo jumps outside and runs away. He dashes between the darkened houses and only changes his arms and legs to paws once he is right in front of the forest. As he is running, he vaguely notes someone walking out of the forest not too far from him but assuming that he or she hasn't seen him, Sabo pays no mind to it and only focuses on finding Ace.

He jumps between bushes and runs across the open spot, only to come to a sudden halt. He turns his arms and legs back and spins around with the speed of lighting. His eyes widen at the sight of Ace's boot, laying forgotten in the middle of the open spot. Slowly, Sabo walks towards it and picks up with a trembling hand. He stiffens at the sight of blood and several holes around the top of the boot. Sabo looks around him and freezes once he finally sees the trap. There are many trails of blood around it, that each go a different direction. One Sabo follows until he ends up at the nearby rock. The other one goes into the bushes. Seeing as to how Ace is nowhere in sight while the boot is, Sabo follows that trail in his normal human form.

He stops when he finally sees his twin brother, a little further ahead of him. Ace is very clearly trying to speed things up, but he is stumbling his way home with one bleeding leg, that for some reason is wrapped with a bandage, and only one boot on.

Sabo sighs in relief, feeling a wave of worry wash off at the sight of his brother alive. However, the state he is in causes for a new wave of nausea and Sabo runs up to him, calling out in panic, "ACE!"

The black wolf turns around like he expecting a human to show up but seeing it's Sabo, he gets a strange smile on his face and he mutters, "Sabo..."

Sabo stops right in front of him and grabs his shoulders, taking a good look at him.

"Thank fuck you're still alive. Are you okay?! How hurt are you? Why didn't you – you couldn't have known about the trap. Shit, Ace. I need to get you home. How far did you think you were going to get before fainting?"

"Where the fuck did you run off to? Tell me where you went." Ace slurs his words at this point but Sabo chooses to ignore it. He looks down at the bloodied bandage but thinking about whoever has done that isn't worth any of his time. He takes a hold of Ace's arms and wraps them around his shoulders. Turning around so his back is facing Ace, he leans down to let Ace's body fall down on his back and he moves his hands down to hook them under Ace's legs.

Ace lets out a very painful hiss at the shock and Sabo immediately says, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You'll be alright Ace. I'll make sure of it. Let's get you home and to Kureha. Don't move."

He lifts up his brother and changes his legs into paws before he runs off as fast as he possibly can, into the direction of the cave.

He needs to fix Ace's leg.

He needs to tell the entire pack about the traps.


	17. Chapter 16

"Ace? Is that you? What are you doing, yoi?"

Ace's entire body stiffens at the sound of Marco's voice. He is currently hiding behind a bush, kneeled down with one hand resting against the harsh bark of a nearby tree. Glaring over the thick green leaves, Ace was basically spying on the human village.

But it wasn't for no reason. Ace knows what he is doing, unfortunately.

He doesn't remember much from the night that he ended up in a trap. He knows all there is to know up until the point where he heard Sabo scream out his name. He remembers murmuring something to his brother, but what exactly is a mystery to him. His twin brother won't let out a word about it either.

Ace can recall waking up with his entire family surrounding him, including the old geezer. Garp had just returned from his trip with Hancock and Margaret and apparently came back the same night that Ace chased after Sabo. While his mother was fussing around him, making Kureha's job to redo the bandages and properly clean the wounds a lot harder, and his father was plotting murder, Garp was ranting. Ranting and scolding Ace.

Out of all wolves, he had to scold the one who got hurt.

" _Why is it always the same damned story when I come home from a trip?! My sweet, precious grandsons keep getting hurt while I'm out of the pack for a while! God damn it, Ace!"_

That old geezer. He has nothing to say about any of this. After all, he is the one to always go after Ace and his brothers over absolutely nothing. He is the one who can easily be blamed for breaking Luffy's ribs. Or for giving Sabo temporary memory loss.

Nonetheless, his parents didn't make it any easier for him either. After Kureha and Law, who is the one who always does the stitches for Kureha, were done, Rouge had been quite clear with him. He was not leaving their home until he was able to properly walk again. And once that was the case, he was not allowed to leave the cave until all the wounds were fully healed.

It was terrible.

Staying put in your own small home is something that Ace never wants to repeat, ever again. He had no place to hide from Luffy, or Sabo for that matter. Luffy was being a handful, always wanting to be the one who replaced the old bandages with new ones. He also didn't want to leave his big brother's side. He just had to be sure that Ace had someone to lean on.

It really wasn't that necessary considering how Rouge always made sure that Ace wasn't alone. Even Garp stayed close and that's saying something.

Sabo hadn't spoken a word to him for the first two days but after seemingly being assured that Ace was going to be just fine, he slowly started coming back to him. Ace knows why he was acting like that. He was the one to run out like some sort of lunatic. Knowing Sabo, his brother was only blaming himself for what had happened to Ace.

Ace has made sure that Sabo got it through his thick skull that he would never blame him. After all, it isn't Sabo who hurt him. It's the hunters. They are the ones to blame for their pain.

They're always the ones to blame.

But Ace is free now. After two long and damned weeks, he managed to successfully beg his mother to let him out of the cave. He hasn't seen the sun at all during those two weeks nor been able to do anything at all. Granted, his leg still hurts and bruises and yes, there are still some bandages around his leg but he can walk. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to anymore.

Also, his mother fixed his boot. There are no reasons not to go out anymore.

There was just one reason that stood out the most and was the main cause for Ace's annoying frustration.

That one reason is Marco.

The same Marco that is currently looking down at him with a very amused smile on his face, his arms crossed. He is not carrying anything with him today and still has the same lazy expression.

Nothing has changed in two weeks.

Ace flushes red at the sight of Marco and coughs, pulling his hat a little tighter considering how they are still on the border between the human village and the forest. He pushes himself up and looks away from Marco, scratching his cheek out of discomfort. He clears his throat again and says, "I – eh. You."

He points at Marco, who flutters his lashes for a second before he frowns as he asks, "Me,yoi?"

Ace's eye twitches and he snaps, "Yes, you! Follow me." Marco slightly tilts his head to the side and Ace is not going to let himself think that the gesture looks a little cute. He tosses several looks around and after making sure there are no other humans nearby, Ace doesn't wait for Marco to move his ass and just grabs his arm.

Without another word, Ace pulls him into the forest. Far into the forest. For whatever reason, Marco doesn't struggle against his tight hold and lets himself get dragged beneath the shadows of the trees without saying a word of protest.

It feels like they've been walking for an hour but Ace just needs to make sure they are out of a possibly danger zone. By now, he has learned of the places where there are no traps located. His father and the others went out on a witch hunt, trying to find the traps and get rid of them. They had success the first night, but the second night there were new traps. So they proceeded to get them away again. However, this time they were already gone by the time his pack got there.

Only to show up again the following night.

It is starting to turn into a game but Ace knows the rules. The traps always appear around the same areas. However, there are places in the forest that the hunters don't know of while the wolves do. Some of them are so easy to find and so close to the human village yet the hunters stay away from them.

Ace is not going to complain about that. At least it gives him a spot to talk to Marco to.

Ace drags Marco into an open field, not too far from the cave but not too close either. He makes sure to stand in a corner, where he is sure that no other wolf can see him talking to a human.

He finally lets go of Marco again and tosses a couple of looks over his shoulders once again, just to make sure of it. Marco watches him with a grin on his face and while he is probably at a loss of what to do, he seems to trust Ace enough to just let himself get dragged into unfamiliar territory.

Ace is not sure on how to feel about that.

"It appears that you want something from me, yoi. I mean, it took you two weeks but who's counting?"

Ace growls at Marco and snaps, "Don't make this any more difficult for me than it already is! Just... shut up for a moment and let me talk. But before anything: did you talk?"

Marco instantly shakes his head, answering with ease, "I told you I wouldn't, yoi."

Ace heavens a little sigh of relief before he coughs again as he starts scratching behind his head while sucking on his lip as he thinks on what to say next. Or more: _how_ to say what he has been wanting to say for so long.

Marco chuckles at him and crosses his arms, looking at Ace with expecting eyes. Ace sighs and takes off his hat. Knowing there are no hunters nearby and with Marco already aware of his secret, Ace sees no use in keeping it on. He pushes it down to his back and ignores the human eyes that start sparkling with fascination as they move away from Ace's face to his ears.

He runs a hand through his thick hair and starts, feeling incredibly out of place, "You kind of, like, saved my life that day and because I'm not a complete ass, I wanted – I wanted to thank you. There, I said it. Oi!"

Marco has started to laugh, almost to the point where he is bending over. Ace turns bright red again and raises his fist, morphing it into a paw, "Stop laughing at me, bastard! I'm being serious here and you start mocking me! Damn you huma – Marco!"

Marco takes a deep breath and moves up again, wiping away a tear from his face. He chuckles and looks at Ace, saying, "I'm not mocking you, Ace. I'm merely surprised, yoi. I don't believe I have heard you be polite yet. Not once."

Ace scoffs and is now the one to cross his arms.

"I don't have to be polite to a human, do I?"

"Don't get me wrong, yoi. I understand where you're coming from. It's just amusing to me, that's all. I appreciate it, Ace. But you don't need to thank me, yoi. I only did what I had to do, nothing more and nothing less." Marco says, smiling at Ace. Ace blinks really fast at Marco. His cheeks turn a little red again and he is at a loss of words. But what _can_ he say to that? Not a single human has ever been nice to him. Admittedly, all those humans were either a hunter or some bastard who started screaming at the sight of his ears. There hasn't been one on the list who didn't know of his real race.

Until Marco joined that list.

Noticing how Ace's tongue is stuck, Marco asks, pointing at Ace's leg, "How is that leg of yours doing, yoi? Is it healing? I'm happy to see you back on your feet though. I was worried about you."

"You? Y-You were worried? _About me_? Why would you waste your time on a monster like me?!" Ace loudly stutters out of pure shock, looking at Marco with widened eyes. The blonde doesn't look like he was kidding though and answers, with a very serious voice, "Ace, I don't know anything about you and your life, but this much is true: you're not a monster, yoi."

"Are we both talking about me? Because I damn know I'm a monster. You don't need to sweet talk me if that's what you're doing. I don't need it." Ace immediately replies. He is a monster, those are hard facts. He isn't like the mundanes, not one bit. He has to hide himself to not scare others, he has to fight to survive. Is that a very human thing to do? Not really. It are the monsters that scare the children.

He _is_ a monster.

Marco sighs. He stares right through Ace and doesn't say anything for a while. He seems to be inspecting Ace's face, letting those eyes roam all over his rough skin. Ace's ears are twitching and he lets them hang down. He feels uncomfortable and he hates it. Just when he is about to say something about it, Marco finally breaks the annoying silence by saying, "Monsters aren't supposed to be cute. You are though, yoi. Conclusion: you're not a monster."

Ace gapes at him. He flushes bright red and exclaims, jumping back as he stutters, "O-oi! Cut the crap, Marco!"

"Ah! It does know my name, yoi!" Marco happily says, putting his hands on his hips. He firmly plants his sandaled feet in the grass and watches how Ace struggles to get himself back in a neutral position. He is fumbling about with his clothing and at a complete loss of what to do. He has never been in a situation like this. One where he doesn't have the control.

Ace hates feeling lost.

Ace is almost relieved when Marco starts talking again but he doesn't like the question that comes out of the blonde's mouth.

"Are you nervous or something,yoi?"

"Damn you, I don't get nervous! I have taught myself to never get nervous. I can't allow myself to get nervous." Ace replies instantly, though he knows he's lying through his teeth. He hasn't taught himself to never get nervous. He has just been forcing himself to push that emotion away, for the sake of his pack. For the sake of his brothers. If he gets nervous then so will they and Ace wants to prevent that from happening at all times. He doesn't want his brothers to ever feel scared. It's just not happening in Ace's books. Those who make his brothers nervous are very much dead meat to him.

Marco seems to ignore the obvious face that Ace _is_ nervous and asks, genuine curiosity in his tone, "Why would that be,yoi?"

"It's my job as an older brother."

* * *

Marco isn't all too shocked by that answer. He almost expected to hear it come out of Ace's mouth. Or something of that sort. In these last two weeks, most his time thinking he has spent on Ace. He is curious about him. About his life. He has thought of Ace in a pack and Ace as a lone wolf. Ace in a pack seemed like a more logical answer, remembering the very desperate reaction he got from Ace that one night. A lone wolf probably wouldn't give a damn what happened to him but one in a pack most likely also thinks about the safety of the other wolves.

Ace sure did look like that was all he thought about.

Marco doesn't know anything about wolf packs. He has no clue about the dynamics in such a group. If they are all family members or just a group of very close friends that consider each other as family. The latter also made him think of his family as a pack and for some reason, it always made him laugh a little. It's a rather funny thought, him and his brothers as a pack. In some ways, they are, Marco guesses. If only he really knew what goes on in such a close-knitted pack.

But Ace is apparently a big brother. Marco doubts that he is the oldest of his pack, if there is one, so he can only guess that he has actual siblings.

Marco wants to be careful with the things he is asking but he can't stop himself from that question slipping over his lips.

"You have younger siblings that look up to you,yoi?"

Ace purses his lips, thinking about the answer. He seems like he doesn't want to give away too much about his life, which Marco fully understands. Of course, the boy has probably been living a very secretive life ever since he was born. Taught not to trust anyone. Who is he to be that one human that can actually be trusted? Marco knows he won't tell a soul (he has managed to not speak of this to his brothers. Not even to Pops. He hates having to lie to them but he doesn't want Ace to not trust him either. He knows his family will understand if he tells them) but Ace doesn't know that. Or doesn't want to believe that, Marco isn't too sure.

"You really didn't say shit to other people?" Ace asks with caution, looking at Marco with almost puppy-like eyes. Marco nods and answers with a little smile, "Of course I didn't, yoi. Did you see more people appear around here?"

Ace snorts. No, of course he didn't. Marco chuckles at the rather defeated look and says, "If you don't want to say anything, that's fine by me, yoi."

Ace holds up two fingers in a V-form, forcing them into Marco's vision. Marco tilts his head at the sign and asks, "Peace?"

Ace growls at him and snaps, Marco noting how his hands both turn into a paw, "How stupid can you get?! Two! Two fingers! I have two younger siblings!"

Marco grins at him, not taking his eyes off the two furry claws up in the air. Ace seems to notice and pulls them back right away, clearing his throat before he continues, "A twin brother and a stupid little brother."

That is surprising information though.

"You're a twin, yoi? That's unexpected."

Ace crosses his arms, stepping closer to where Marco is standing. He blows a piece of hair out of face and asks with a snort, "How is that unexpected in any way?" Marco chuckles at the reply, noting the way Ace is seemingly relaxing. It's nice to know that the wolf is slowly starting to feel less like a caged animal and more... mundane around him. He is very aware of the fact that Ace will most likely never not feel like a caged animal, especially in the presence of the human race, and the fact that Ace is at least not as tense as the first time they met almost feels like an honor to Marco.

The blonde shrugs and says, with a lazy grin resting on his lips, "You don't seem like a twin-type to me. I don't know, I can't really explain it, yoi."

"That is a stupid answer. Just for your information, we don't look alike. Like, at all. Maybe that will rest your soul." Ace bluntly bites back, though not with as much venom in his voice. Marco chuckles, "I suppose it does. I can't imagine another you running around wild, yoi."

Ace rolls his eyes, "He the complete opposite of me. My little brother on the other hand is like a cannon ball. It's really frustrating and stress-worthy on my part. But that's all you get to hear of them. They've been doing some illegal shit themselves as well and if you know too much about them, I'll be the one to get them into trouble. As an older brother, it is my responsibility to _prevent_ that from happening."

Marco hums, nodding along. "I understand, yoi. It's also not my job to dig into your life." Ace seems surprised by that answer and narrows his eyes, leaning in closer as his arms stay crossed over one another.

"Are you serious about that? You don't want to know anything about our – my society? My ways of life? My family or my pack?"

"Oh, you have a pack, yoi?"

"DAMN IT!" Ace shouts loudly and he turns around to slam his head against a tree. Marco will be very surprised if that didn't hurt. He sighs and reaches out for the distressed wolf, saying in a loud voice, "Oi, I won't say a word, yoi. I haven't said anything for these past two weeks, I can do it again if that's what it takes. Your secret is safe with me, really. No need to crack your head open, yoi."

And to be fair, Marco already had a hunch there would be pack. There is simply no way for Ace to be roaming the forest all on his own. All of his reactions pretty much give it away but Marco doesn't care much about it. He understands the consequences when a pack gets discovered. Or when a lone wolf gets found out. It's an instant and humiliating death, that won't hurt a single soul among the living. It's instant discrimination and separation from each other.

Marco refuses to be the reason for that. Just the mere thought of him being forced away from Pops and his brothers haunts him. Or the simple idea of being killed for his race while his family faces the same trial, far away from him. He can only imagine the amount of stress Ace is under. He is not going to be the one to add up to that.

Ace turns away from the tree and Marco sighs at the sight of a red forehead. He dares to walk closer and carefully puts his hand on the red spot. Ace flinches but he doesn't pull away. Marco shakes his head and says, "You ought to be more careful, yoi. You already have a wounded leg, no need to add your forehead to that list."

"Why are you so nice to me?" Ace asks, very serious and cautious. He stares at Marco, practically demanding him to give him a serious answer. Marco stares back, just as hard, before he answers with a shrug, "I don't see the problem, yoi. I have been raised on the beliefs that everybody is the same and deserves equal rights. You are no exception, yoi. Not to mention the fun fact that I am not dead yet. You're being nice to me too, why wouldn't I return the favor?"

Ace is quiet for a moment. Marco can't read his mind nor expressions but he guesses that he is thinking very hard about what he said. It's rather saddening to think about how this might be the first time Ace has ever heard that in his life. He knows hunters can be very cruel and harsh against the werewolves but just how cruel were they towards Ace? It almost sends shivers down his spine to think about it. He'd rather not think about it.

"You just said you understood. About that family shit." Ace says in a quiet voice and Marco has to really listen to hear what those words. Marco nods and answers, "Yes, I do, yoi."

"Are those guys that were at that company you work for your family?"

Marco smiles, letting go of Ace. He puts his hands on his hips and says, "They were, yoi. The big guy is my Pops. The guys are my brothers. Younger brothers so to speak."

Ace frowns, clearly confused but not confused enough to ask questions. He vaguely waves his hand next to his temple and asks, "And you understand my frustration? How so? You live in a human village. I don't think you have to protect your younger brothers from the same amount of dangers as I need to do."

"You're right about the fact that I have the luxury to be living in a village, in a safe home without having to fear for my life every day. You're spot on, yoi. However," Marco raises his hand to put it behind his head, Ace following the movement with his eyes.

"It may not to be the same danger, I do have to keep my brothers safe of course, yoi. Danger comes in all shapes and sizes. It's my job to stop them from doing crazy stuff. One of them, Izo, he doesn't exactly have a knack for getting drunk, but he gets it too easily. It's frustrating in the least. When Izo is drunk, he doesn't see things the way they really are anymore, yoi. As a matter of fact, he won't be able to speak right either. So if some stranger decides to take advantage of that, he is no state to defend himself. I am, though."

Marco almost sneers at the thought of it again. A man, who came from far to see their company, had been keeping his eyes on Izo only from the second he arrived. At first Marco thought it was because Izo may come across as a girl without a second glance but it just didn't stop. Marco wasn't the only one to notice, Thatch and Jozu had seen it too. Basically all brothers saw it. All of them, except for Izo.

When the night had fallen, they all started drinking as a sign of agreement on the man's behalf. However, he kept giving Izo alcohol to the point where he was really drunk. Marco is very relieved that he kept watching the pair or else he wouldn't have been able to quite literally beat the man off the premises for inappropriately grabbing at Izo.

Ace studies his face for a while and slowly starts nodding.

"I guess I can understand. It's just... It's _really_ frustrating, you know? They won't sit still and refuse to listen to every word I say! And if things turn out the way I predicted it, which is always the fucking case, they come crying that they didn't know! Especially my younger brother. I care for him, I really do, but sometimes I just want to strangle him."

Marco can't stop himself from laughing at Ace's words and before he can stop himself, he ruffles Ace's hair and says, "I can see you're struggling very hard, Ace. But I'm sure you're doing a great job, yoi. After all, none of us humans have seen a sight of them yet. I'd say you're a great big brother. And of course they won't listen to you, yoi. Mine refuse to take me for my word as well but almost come around when things get tough. They rely on you, even if they don't show it as much as you want them to."

Ace snorts but doesn't remove the hand. He looks at Marco and says, "Never in my life did I think I was going to be fucking lectured by a human."

"There is a first for everything, yoi."

Ace doesn't smile but there is a little chuckle that comes out, much to Marco's surprise. All that Ace has been doing is keep a straight face, snort or shout harsh words at him.

This is the first sign of a smile. A first.

Marco can't say he doesn't like it.

Ace directs the chuckle to the ground and mutters, "I suppose you're right. Damn it."


End file.
